Dionysus was the ancient Greek god of wine, fertility, theater, and ecstasy. He was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the mortal princess Semele. Dionysus is often depicted as a young, effeminate man with a wreath of vine leaves in his hair, holding a drinking cup or a thyrsus (a staff wrapped in ivy or vine leaves). He was associated with religious festivals and rituals that involved the consumption of wine and ecstatic dancing. Dionysus was worshipped by various names and cults throughout Greece, and his worship spread to other parts of the ancient world as well.
