Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, was notoriously known among Romans for his interest and fascination in drinking, alcoholism, and partying. He was infamous for the Bacchanalia festivals, events involving wild partying, which were held in honor of him. However, contrary to popular belief that he was an inconsiderate and careless drunkard, the Romans could have viewed him as a more considerate and caring god. While Bacchus was infamous for being an alcohol and party addict, he, at the same time, showed empathy and compassion for those whom he loved and the Romans as a whole. This is portrayed through his journey throughout the world, his generosity and courage in many myths, and his representation in the twenty-first century.
Bacchus’s goodwill and benevolence sprouted from a young age during his journey around the world. Not many years after his birth, he became infuriated when Hera, wife of Zeus, struck him with madness. This resulted in a very unpleasant childhood for him. In anger, he left Mount Olympus and travelled throughout the world. In his journey, he encountered Cybele, the “mother of gods,” who cured him from his madness and allowed him to continue a more peaceful journey. Throughout the rest of his voyage he compassionately taught farming techniques to many villagers. More specifically, while in Asia, he gave lessons on how to grow grapes and cultivate vine. While Bacchus may not have immediately noticed it, he was performing large acts of kindness all along the way, which were the first steps of him becoming a benevolent god. His continuance of benevolence is illustrated through several different myths.
Bacchus, identical to the Greek god Dionysus, is depicted as compassionate and kindhearted in many myths...
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...ned movie Fantasia and synopsis of the upcoming play Bacchus in Rehab clearly show Bacchus as a kind and helpful god.
While many view Bacchus as the notorious, alcoholic god, it is clear that he can, instead, be viewed as a benevolent and caring god. First, throughout his journey, he compassionately taught commoners the art of growing grapes and cultivating vine. Second, he generously granted King Midas the power of turning everything he touched into gold and kindly helped him remove it when he found Midas in distress. In another myth, he sympathetically saved his mother from the underworld. Third, Bacchus was (and will be) portrayed in film and theater as a sympathetic and solicitous god who has an urge to help others. These depictions of Bacchus show that he was not only not an arrogant and inconsiderate drunkard, but also a compassionate, caring samaritan.
can be traced by to his grandmother who provided him with a powerful moral and
The similarity between the two Gods is striking. Dionysus is associated with wine and revelry. Christ forever associated himself with wine and celebration through the act of Communion and the Wedding at Cana. Contrary to many popular beliefs, Christ is a celebratory God. The Bible lists many occasions where God accepted the gift of his followers' song and dance. 2 Samuel 6:14, "David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might." Dionysus also encourages festivities. "I came to this city of Greeks when I had set ...
Apuleius' Golden Ass, the only surviving novel of the Roman Empire, is a tale of a Greek nobleman devoting his life to the goddess Isis following his transformation to an ass and back. Although a work of fiction, the novel reveals a great deal about religion in Apuleius' society. This information, however, must be viewed with a critical eye. He incorporates stories from Greco-Roman mythology not to affirm their validity, but to reveal their commonness to society. Apuleius insults other religions that are not of the Pantheon with severe viciousness, while the general public may have been more open to them. In the end, he praises Isis and Osiris as the supreme gods while giving first hand account of their righteousness. Overall, Apuleius' view of religion cannot be trusted.
In ancient times, the Greeks had absolute and undeniable respect for their gods. They demonstrated their admiration by putting in place many rituals and celebrations to reverence the gods that they loved and feared in order to ensure harmony with them. In particular, the focus will be on the religious beliefs of the Greeks, including prayer and sacrifice, as well as on festivals and the arts, such as the ancient Olympic games and theatre. These aspects of their culture made a significant contribution to their quality of life. Moreover, these topics will be examined in relation to the twelve Olympian gods and their associates.
I decided to analyze the similarities and differences between the two gods: Zeus and his son Dionysus. Even though Dionysus is of the same lineage of Zeus, this does not mean they share all of the same characteristics of one another. They differ greatly in attitude, appearance and morals. Zeus is considered the king of all gods, and he proudly uses his powers for his own amusement and pleasure, often at the expense of others lives. Whereas, Dionysus is the god of wine and fertility and he uses his powers to bring both pleasure and an escape from the grief that plagues ones mind but this can come at a cost leading the consumer to become unpredictable and easily influenced through overindulgence and addiction.
The act of studying mythology can be an extremely unifying thing. For humans as a species, myths connect us with our collective history by allowing us to see through the eyes of our ancestors. Potentially much more than in novels, myths allow us to enter into the ancient world on a deeper level; through them we are exposed to the popular worldview and superstitions of the day. The inner workings of ancient human beings are visible, and it becomes strikingly clear that they were not all that different than we are. They experienced similar hopes and fears, they felt the rapturous beauty of falling in love, and cursed the crushing pangs of loss. They missed loved ones when they were away, anxiously counting the days and watching the horizons for their return. Seeing, breathing, speaking creatures, they were living, emotional beings. Their hearts vigorously pumped lifeblood through their capillaries until the day of their death. (Ellwood, 9)
Nothing can be more life changing than when a god chooses to interact with a mortal man. Much of Greek mythology describes the natures of these interactions. The Olympian Gods meddle with the mortals they rule over constantly, but what is the result for these interactions, and how do they impact the mortals? The question that this paper tries to address is what is the nature of these divine interaction, and how does each side truly perceive each other? The Gods and mortals interact in a variety of ways, but the true natures of these interactions truly describe how the ancient Greeks perceived their gods.
The relationship between gods and mortals in mythology has long been a complicated topic. The gods can be generous and supportive, and also devastating and destructive to any group of humans. Mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. Regardless of one's actions, intentions, and thoughts, the gods in Greek myth have ultimate power and the final decision of justice over nature, mortals, and even each other.
Stressed greatly in ancient Greek culture, hospitality is evident throughout Homer’s writing, which reflects and expresses many different value systems within it. For example, when in the cave of the Cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus confronts him by saying, “we therefore humbly pray to show us some hospitality and otherwise make us such presents as visitors may reasonably expect” (92). To the Greeks, hospitality was very important, to the point that it was an expectation and not just a quality as it is in today’s culture. If you feared Zeus and the gods, you were to show hospitality. In opposition to this, Odysseus’ request for hospitality is followed by the Cyclops stating, “you are a fool…we Cyclopes do not care about Zeus or any of your blessed gods for we are ever so much stronger than they” (92/93). In accordance to this, the greatest reason for one to show hospitality was because they believe...
Levine, H.G. (1995).“The Good Creature of God and the Demon Rum,” International Handbook on Alcohol and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
In Homer’s The Odyssey there is another mention of Zeus, the god of hospitality and when Odysseus reaches the cave of the Cyclopes, he tells Polyphemus, “Zeus protects all suppliants and strangers—as god of guests, he cares for all respected visitors “(Bauschatz, 31). The Cyclopes reply expresses that he can care less about the Gods because he believes the Cyclopes hold more power. Towards the end, Polyphemus prays to Poseidon and he throws in Odysseus way but this demonstrates how much interaction the Gods have with the
When it comes to hospitality, Greeks stand atop the list of all cultures for their generosity and politeness towards strangers. “Philoxenia” is the Greek word for “the love of strangers”. Philoxenia is demonstrated in several different cases in Homer’s The Odyssey. According to Greek customs, hospitality is respected by the immortal gods. If the Greek code of hospitality is not performed correctly, or not performed at all, the consequences may be very severe, gods may unleash their wrath to whoever does not follow this tradition of thoughtfulness. Homer suggests both positive and negative commentary on his own world through the examples of hospitalities that provide The Odyssey.
The Odyssey demonstrates how the gods favored certain men over others. When man had the gods "on his side," he was sure to complete whatever task was at hand.
“Gods can be evil sometimes.” In the play “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles defamed the gods’ reputation, and lowered their status by making them look harmful and evil. It is known that all gods should be perfect and infallible, and should represent justice and equity, but with Oedipus, the gods decided to destroy him and his family for no reason. It might be hard to believe that gods can have humanistic traits, but in fact they do. The gods, especially Apollo, are considered evil by the reader because they destroyed an innocent man’s life and his family. They destroyed Oedipus by controlling his fate, granting people the power of prophecy, telling Oedipus about his fate through the oracle of Apollo, and finally afflicting the people of Thebes with a dreadful plague. Fundamentally, by utilizing fate, prophecies, the oracle of Apollo, and the plague, the gods played a significant role in the destruction of Oedipus and his family.
Ancient Roman mythology consisted of a combination of rituals, beliefs, and observances of supernatural occurrences. They were based heavily on the idea of Greek mythology. As legend has it, the gods resembled human figures but they were bigger stronger and much more beautiful than that of the ancient roman gods. Even though the Roman gods were not depicted to be as beautiful they still were thought of with high admiration by roman citizens. The roman’s paid homage to the gods, in doing so they expected protection, fertility, prosperity, and good health in return for their allegiance.