055 The Dionysian Mysteries

In this episode, we discuss the Phrygian goddess Cybele; her cult's transportation to Greece in the 6th century BC; her assimilation with the cults of Gaia, Rhea, and Demeter as the Great Mother and as a civic protector (particularly in Athens); her cultic rites and influence on Dionysos (Bacchus), particularly music, wine, and an ecstatic following; the myths of two other Phrygian deities, Agdistis and Attis; some of the myths and the iconography of Dionysos and his companions (Silenus, Pan, the Satyrs, and the Maenads); the historicity and major themes of Euripides’ The Bacchae ("The Followers of Bacchus"); and the cultic elements of Dionysiac worship (particularly in Delphi, Boeotia, and the Peloponnese) Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2017/09/055-dionysian-mysteries.html Intro by Savannah Marquardt of Ritual Podcast Website: https://www.ritualpodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RitualPodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RitualPodcast