Dionysus Classic T-Shirt

Greek God of wine, fruit, fertility and ecstasy.

Dionysus is the son of Zeus and mortal Semele and so is the only god with a mortal parent. He is immortal due to having been born from Zeus' thigh.

When Dionysus grew up, he discovered the culture of the vine and the mode of extracting its juice, being the first to do so, hence his affiliation to wine.

Dionysus has his own cult whereby instead of the conventional practice of worhsipping gods in a temple, his cult members and worshippers would instead venture into the woods in a state of ecstasy and drink wine to release them from fear and inhibitions, as Dionysus encouraged.

He married Ariadne after falling in love with her on the Island of Naxos, where she had been abandoned by the Greek hero, Theseus.

Dionysus' symbols: his thyrus, fruit, vines, wine.