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Friday, September 15, 2017

055 - The Dionysian Mysteries

In this episode, we discuss the Great Mother Cybele and her influence on the cult of Dionysos; some of the myths and the iconography of Dionysos; and Euripides’ Bacchae and the elements of Dionysiac worship

 Mythic Characters, Places, and Events Mentioned: 


Key terms: Cybele, Phrygia, Mount Ida, Catalhoyuk, Matar Kubileya (mother of the mountains), meter (mother), Magna Mater (Great Mother), Kubebe (Hittite goddess), Asherah (a Semitic deity), Astarte (a Syrian deity), Venus Erycina (of Mt. Eryx on Sicily), Potnia Theron (Mistress of the Animals








Recommended Sources for Further Reading:

Recommended Podcasts for Further Listening:
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2 comments:

  1. DaisySeptember 18, 2017 at 8:27 PM

    Why were they called Mysteries?

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    Replies
    1. The History of Ancient Greece - PodcastSeptember 20, 2017 at 2:10 PM

      Because their rites were mysterious, i.e. reserved for the initiated, and thus many aspects of the Dionysian cult remain unknown and were lost with the decline of Greco-Roman polytheism; luckily we have the Bacchae, but even then we don't know everything.

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