In another version of his mythic origin, he is the son of Persephone. It seems that certain elements of the cult of Dionysos and Semele were adopted by the Thracians from the local populations when they moved to Asia Minor , where they were named Phrygians. Herodotus , who gives the account of Cadmus, estimates that Semele lived sixteen hundred years before his time, or around BCE.
In one version of the myth, Semele was a priestess of Zeus , and on one occasion was observed by Zeus as she slaughtered a bull at his altar and afterwards swam in the river Asopus to cleanse herself of the blood. Flying over the scene in the guise of an eagle, Zeus fell in love with Semele and afterwards repeatedly visited her secretly. Zeus' wife, Hera , a goddess jealous of usurpers, discovered his affair with Semele when she later became pregnant. Appearing as an old crone, [11] Hera befriended Semele, who confided in her that her lover was actually Zeus.
Hera pretended not to believe her, and planted seeds of doubt in Semele's mind. Curious, Semele asked Zeus to grant her a boon. Zeus, eager to please his beloved, promised on the River Styx to grant her anything she wanted.
She then demanded that Zeus reveal himself in all his glory as proof of his godhood. Though Zeus begged her not to ask this, she persisted and he was forced by his oath to comply. Zeus tried to spare her by showing her the smallest of his bolts and the sparsest thunderstorm clouds he could find.
Mortals, however, cannot look upon Zeus without incinerating, and she perished, consumed in lightning-ignited flame. Zeus rescued the fetal Dionysus , however, by sewing him into his thigh whence the epithet Eiraphiotes, "insewn", of the Homeric Hymn. A few months later, Dionysus was born. This leads to his being called "the twice-born". When he grew up, Dionysus rescued his mother from Hades , [14] and she became a goddess on Mount Olympus, with the new name Thyone , presiding over the frenzy inspired by her son Dionysus.
There is a story in the Fabulae of Gaius Julius Hyginus, or a later author whose work has been attributed to Hyginus. Select personalised content.
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Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Ancient History and Latin Expert. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. Updated February 06, After a few months, Zeus opened his leg and gave birth to Dionysus. The cults often had different versions of major myths than the mainstream religion, with a focus on learning the secrets of death.
According to their stories, Zeus had seduced Persephone in the form of a snake and she had given birth to a son. The child god was so adored by his father that Zeus allowed the boy to sit on his throne and wield his thunderbolts. Hera and the Titans were jealous of the child and cut him to pieces. According to the Orphic tradition, Zeus made the heart of his son into a potion which he gave to Semele to drink. Semele was still killed, but this time out of a desire to interrupt the resurrection rather than because of her own relationship with Zeus.
Instead, she became a priestess that worked with her god to allow the rebirth of a beloved god. The Orphic mysteries may have been influenced by the Egyptian myth of Osirus. Their beliefs made Dionysus not just the god of wine, but a being that had successfully passed into the land of the dead and been reborn. The beliefs of the Orphic cultists were not widespread in the ancient world, however. Only those who were initiated into the mystery rites would have access to this alternative story of Semele and her son.
In the Hellenistic period, however, a more mainstream belief would see Semele get a happier ending. Throughout most of Greek history, the underworld had been considered to be a universally dismal place. Over time, however, the Greeks began to believe that those who lived exceptionally good lives would be rewarded with a more pleasant experience.
At the same time, they began to imagine that some of their most popular heroes had been given a better ending as well. For the sons and daughters of the gods, they began to think it was possible for the best among them to have been taken to Olympus and made gods themselves. Record yourself saying 'semele' in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen.
How did Hera punish Semele? When Semele became pregnant, Hera found out and jealous of her husband's affair, set out a plan to punish Semele. So, Semele decided to ask Zeus to grant her a wish, and he took an oath on the river Styx that he would give her anything. She asked that he appear to her in all his glory; Zeus was forced to comply. Where is Semele from? Who came from Zeus thigh? Who is Bacchus? Bacchus was essentially a copy of the Greek god Dionysus. He was the god of agriculture and wine and the son of Jupiter Zeus in Greek mythology.
He wandered the earth, showing people how to grow vines and process the grapes for wine. Who is Bacchus wife?
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