Dionysus

Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Semele. When Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus to reveal his true divine form, the sight destroyed her. Zeus rescued the unborn Dionysus and sewed the infant into his own thigh until he was ready to be born — making him "twice-born."

Raised in secret by nymphs on Mount Nysa, Dionysus discovered the vine and the secret of making wine. He traveled the world spreading the gift of viticulture, accompanied by a wild retinue of satyrs and maenads. Those who welcomed him received the blessing of wine and celebration; those who resisted were driven mad.

Dionysus was central to Athenian culture. The great dramatic festivals — the Dionysia — were held in his honor, and from these festivals Greek tragedy and comedy were born. He represented the wild, irrational forces that exist alongside civilized life, a necessary counterpart to the order of Apollo.