What is Dionysus?
{{for|the pope|Pope Dionysius}} {{Infobox deity | type = Greek | name = Dionysus | image = Dionysos Louvre Ma87 n2.jpg | alt = | caption = [[Ancient Roman sculpture|2nd-century Roman statue]] of Dionysus, after a [[Hellenistic culture|Hellenistic model]] (ex-coll. [[Cardinal Richelieu]], [[Hera|Louvre]])<ref>Another variant, from the Spanish royal collection, is at the [[Museo del Prado]], Madrid: [[:File:Dioniso del tipo Madrid-Varese (M. Prado) 01.jpg|illustration]].</ref> | god_of = God of the vine, grape-harvest, wine-making, [[wine]], fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, theatre | symbol = [[Thyrsus]], grapevine, bull, [[Panther (legendary creature)|panther]]s and other [[big cat]]s | consort = [[Ariadne]] | parents = Zeus and [[Semele]]<br>[[Zeus]] and [[Persephone]] ([[Orphic]])<br>[[Amun|Ammon]] and [[Amaltheia]] | siblings = [[Aeacus]], [[Angelos (Greek mythology)|Angelos]], [[Aphrodite]], [[Apollo]], [[Ares]], [[Artemis]], [[Athena]], [[Eileithyia]], [[Enyo]], [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]], [[Ersa]], [[Hebe (mythology)|Hebe]], [[Helen of Troy]], [[Hephaestus]], [[Heracles]], [[Hermes]], [[Minos]], [[Pandia]], [[Persephone]], [[Perseus]], [[Rhadamanthus]], the [[Graces]], the [[Horae]], the [[Litae]], the [[Muse]]s, the [[Moirai]] | children = [[Priapus]], [[Hymenaios|Hymen]], [[Thoas (Tauri king)|Thoas]], [[Staphylus]], [[Oenopion]], [[Comus]], [[Phthonus]], the [[Graces]], [[Deianira]] | Roman_equivalent = Bacchus, [[Liber]] | Etruscan_equivalent = [[Fufluns]] | Greek_equivalent = [[Iacchus]], [[Zagreus]] | equivalent1_type = Egyptian | equivalent1 = [[Osiris]] }} '''Dionysus''' ({{respell|die|oh|NIS|ee|us}}, also spelt '''Dionysos''', '''Dionysius''') is the [[Greek mythology|Greek]] god of frenzies, festivities, spiritual [[ecstasy (emotion)|ecstasy]], [[wine]], and alcohol in general. Amongst the Orphists (who are a select group of followers of the Ancient Greek Religion) Dionysus is considered a saviour. ==Mythology== There are two stories on how Dionysus was born. One says that he was the so