The Greek God Dionysus & His Mystery Cult
Fresco of Dionysus from the Baths of Caracalla, Rome, 3rd c CE
The Mystery of Mystery Cults
Dionysus is the Greek God of Wine, Theatre, Madness, and more. But did you know he had a mystery cult with secretive rites?
Ancient mystery cults, like that of Dionysus, emphasized themes of life, death, and rebirth to transform the initiates to make them feel as though they were part of something bigger. The beauty of mystery cults lay in allowing their followers a sense of community.
Joining a mystery cult in the ancient world, while secret, was something many people chose to do to feel closer to certain gods whom they worshipped! This gave them a profound sense of self, and like-minded individuals often surrounded them! Many mystery cults would have had multiple meet-ups (such as the cult of Mithras), levels of initiation (as seen in the cult of Isis), or celebrated sacred days that had ties to their mythology (as in the Eleusinian mysteries).
But who is Dionysus?
The God & His Followers
Dionysus procession, marble relief. Image courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum
Dionysus in Greek Mythology is a fascinating character who, depending on the source, is born, dies, and is brought back to life. Very similar to the three themes in mystery cults. As an Olympian, he was the god of wine, as he taught humans how to cultivate grapes, the god of madness, and the god of theatre.
While he is an agricultural god, his ties to madness, frenzy, and theatre are often overlooked. His myths may not be as well-known as others, but the lessons are still the same: why would you defy the gods of myth? Even one of his cousins faced his wrath as he was torn limb from limb by his female followers (also known as maenads).
Theatre is another interesting aspect. Many people wouldn’t inherently think of Greek gods and theatre, but what does theatre allow people to do? Play a character and wear a mask. The perfect commentary on humanity, the mortals play roles and wear masks. Dionysus and his mystery cult actually emphasize this feeling of catharsis, encouraging you to shed your own mask and see what lies underneath. Theatre masks were also seen as apotropaic!
So why would people join? Well, that’s a good question. Likely because state religion just wasn’t enough, and they wanted a deeper connection with Dionysus and others around them in their new community. Perhaps it allowed them freedom, and for women, a great fact is that they were able to hold high-ranking positions in the cult, which we don’t see too much elsewhere.
The Community
Detail of the frescoed wall in room 5 of the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii
In ancient mystery cults, initiates joined to be part of something much bigger, to be connected with that community. But how do we know about this? The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii showcases different individuals going about their lives in life-sized wall paintings that may actually depict an initiation ritual.
Here we see individuals who play roles in the mysteries lock eyes with us as we move through the wall. We see purification rituals, divination, and potentially a young woman getting ready for the ritual. These individuals have provided archaeologists and scholars with invaluable information on the rites and rituals. But we also see, center stage, the divine couple. In the middle of the back wall, the god leans on his mortal wife (not preserved), as his initiates and followers prepare, dance, and move around him.
It is through the community that the rituals and rites were performed! Why? Because mystery cults were not a solo worship. While the ancient peoples believed they held a connection to the god and would achieve a better afterlife, they also focused on the ‘here and now’ with the people around them. From initiates to basket-bearers, priests, priestesses, and hierophants, all were welcome to find their place here!
The God and His Wife
Details of the divine couple
Now, what is fascinating about the Villa of the Mysteries specifically is that, while the mystery cult of Dionysus was centered on the god and his worship, we actually see his wife being represented as part of the larger ritual. In the room, as stated above, she is located at the center of the back wall. As an archaeologist and scholar, seeing his wife present here is remarkable for several reasons. The first is that we see how she is held in regard by her husband, which is reaffirmed through her hand placement, the only aspect of her that survives. And, because in a way, it highlights how women were able to move up to hold different ranks and positions within the cult.
Of course, her hand placement is very intimate for the ancient world. A Dr. K tip is that hands and feet in the ancient world will tell you more than meets the eye! In fact, Ariadne’s placement on her husband’s shoulder shows her in a position of power, one that her inebriated husband is happy to hand over! Hands, especially in Rome, are symbols of contracts in both the business sense and in marriage. And it is her positioning here that gives a sense of intimacy not seen elsewhere.
For the divine couple specifically, if you didn’t know that he was married to Ariadne or didn’t know who she was, check out this episode of Styx and Bones!
Styx and Bones Mystery Cult
Votive relief of Dionysus and Pluto, 4th c BCE.
With all the talk of mystery cults in antiquity, you may be wondering what else we know, or what other evidence we have available, and that is a great question. Now, due to a few ancient sources believed to be semi-autobiographical, we gain insight into the past, including some possible initiation scenes and rites for men and women. Yes, they were different!
But what about today? Actually, it’s what inspired the extra members content for Styx and Bones. In this modern mystery cult, we dive deeper into book reviews, niche information, and more with live conversations happening in a community of like-minded people to allow you to be part of something bigger! Which, when you think about it, hit all the tenets of ancient mystery cults.
So, for those who love history, Greek mythology, or even worship the gods of old, welcome to the mysteries!
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