he then asked him to show her his true form. Zeus, was unhappy, and knew what would happen, but having sworn he had no choice. He appeared in his true form and Semel was instantly burn to a crisp by the sight of his glory. Zeus did manage to rescue Dionysus, and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he was ready to be born. Dionysus birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality upon him. But Dionysus problem with Hera were not yet over. She was still jealous, and arranged for the Titans to kill him. The Titans ripped him into a pieces. But luckily, Rhea brought him back to life. After this, Zeus arranged for his protection and turned him over the mountain nymphs to be raised.Once Dionysus had grown to a manhood he decided to wander far and wide, including areas outside of Greece. He raveled everywhere to preach the culture of the vine. It was accepted most everywhere but his own country. He wandered around Asia, accompanied by a wild group of Satyrs and Maenads, involving himself in bizarre events. For example, he flayed alive the king of Damascus, and chased the Amazons to Ephesus where some of them took refuge in the Temple of Artemis. Next, Dionysus returned to Europe, and his grandmother Rhea purified him of the murders he had committed during his madness and initiated him in her Mysteries. He then visited Thebes, and there invited women to join his revels. Pentheus, king of Thebes, arrested him and all his Maenads, but went mad and locked up a bull instead of the god. The Maenads escaped and went raging up in the mountains. Pentheus tried to stop the frenzy, but wild with religious ecstasy and wine they tore Pentheus limb from limb. Finally, having established his worship, Dionysus ascended to heaven and joined Zeus and the other Olympians.Dionysus is also one of the very few that was able to bring a dead person out of the underworld. Even though he had never seen Semele he was concerned for her (Bremmer 15). Eventually, he j...
