希腊罗马神话：Dionysus

1、Lecture 10: Dionysus/Bacchus 1. Characters Disguising herself as Semeles faithful nurse, Hera persuaded her to insist upon Zeus visiting her in all his power and glory; begged Zeus to appear to her as the mighty lord of the universe, with thunder and lightning, then she was instantly consumed in the

2、 flames; From her womb, Zeus rescued the baby Dionysus dainaiss and sewed him into his thigh(大腿). A few months later, Zeus released him from his thigh. Dionysus, “twice-born” 3. Birth of Dionysus Death of Semele b. Zeus + Persephone = Zagreus zrs(扎格列欧斯)/Dionysus Hera was jealous so she got Titans to

3、 attack child baby Dionysus torn apart Significance? It explains why human beings are endowed with a dual nature, part evil Silenus was often considered as the foster father(养父) of Dionysus. Dionysus passed an innocent and uneventful childhood, roaming through the woods and forests, surrounded by ny

4、mphs, satyrs, and shepherds. During one of these rambles(漫游), he found a fruit growing wild, of a most refreshing(提神的) and cooling nature. This was the vine(葡萄树), from which he subsequently learnt to extract wine. 4. Wanderings of Dionysus When Dionysus had grown up, Hera threw him also into a state

5、 of madness, in which he wandered about through many countries of the earth. According to the common tradition, Dionysus first wandered through Egypt, where he was hospitably received by king Proteus. He thence proceeded through Syria, where he flayed Damascus alive, for opposing the introduction of

6、 the vine. He now traversed(横越) all Asia. Dionysus visited Phrygia and the goddess Cybele or Rhea, who purified him and taught him the mysteries When he arrived at the Euphrates(幼发拉 底河), he built a bridge to cross the river, but a tiger sent to him by Zeus carried him across the river Tigris(底格里斯河).

7、 The most famous part of his wanderings in Asia is his expedition to India, which is said to have lasted three, or, according to some, even 52 years. He did not in those distant regions meet with a kindly reception everywhere. But Dionysus and the host of Pans, Satyrs, and Bacchic women, by whom he

8、was accompanied, conquered his enemies, taught the Indians the cultivation of the vine and of various fruits, and the worship of the gods; he also founded towns among them, gave them laws, and left behind him pillars and monuments in the happy land which he had thus conquered and civilized, and the

9、inhabitants worshipped him as a god. Lycurgus ag(莱莱 克格斯克格斯) When King Lycurgus of Thrace(色雷斯) heard that Dionysus was in his kingdom, he imprisoned all the followers of Dionysus; The god fled, taking refuge with Thetis, and sent a drought which stirred the people into revolt. Dionysus then made King

10、 Lycurgus insane, having him slice his own son into pieces with an axe, thinking he was a patch of ivy, a plant holy to Dionysus. An oracle then claimed that the land would stay dry and barren as long as Lycurgus was alive, so his people took their king and put him in chains, and Dionysus had him to

11、rn to pieces by horses. With Lycurgus dead, Dionysus lifted the curse. (Illiad) Dionysus His own mother, Agave, in her Bacchic fury, mistook him for an animal, and tore him to pieces. From Euripides(欧里庇得斯), Bacchae Pentheus, king of Thebes, and women of Thebes dont believe in Dionysus, son of Zeus h

12、is mother carries his head on her thyrsus :ss into the city saying she has slain a lion Dionysus young girls carrying baskets, long loaves of bread, jars of water, jars of wine, and other offerings(供品); contests of dancing and singing, performances of tragedies(悲剧) and comedies(喜剧) 6.Examples of Cul

13、ts b. City Dionysia dainizi (狂欢节, 酒 神节) (or Great Dionysia), Athens Held 3 months after rural Dionysia, in March or April festival in honour of Dionysus, lasting 7 days or so. first day procession to gods temple by theatre on south slope of acropolis with actors, choruses(合唱队), playwrights, priest o

14、f Dionysus, statue of god carried, Phallus carried 1) tragedy: 3 tragedians each present 3 tragedies the tambourine(小手鼓) invented by Dionysus expresses the wine gods passionate and impulsive(冲动的) nature. Paean pi:n太阳神的赞美歌-Dithyramb diirmb酒神颂，描述酒神经历 They represent two equally important aspects of hum

15、an nature and society: the rational and the irrational. In The Birth of Tragedy (1872), the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche(尼采) contrasted Dionysus with the god Apollo as a symbol of the fundamental, unrestrained aesthetic(美学的) principle of force, music, and intoxication(陶醉) versus the princi

16、ple of sight, form, and beauty represented by the latter. Nietzsche also claimed that the oldest forms of Greek Tragedy were entirely based on suffering of Dionysus. 希腊人知道并且感觉到生存的恐怖和可怕， 为 了能够活下去，他们必须在它前面安排奥林匹斯 众神的光辉梦境之诞生。从原始的提坦诸神的 恐怖秩序，通过日神的美的冲动， 逐渐过渡而 发展成奥林匹斯诸神的快乐秩序，这就像玫瑰花 从有刺的灌木丛里生长开放一样。这个民族如此 敏感，其欲望如此热烈，如此特别容易痛苦，如 果人生不是被一种更高