Myths about Dionysus

King Pentheus of Thebes attempts to suppress the newly arrived cult of Dionysus, only to be lured onto Mount Cithaeron in disguise. There, under the influence of divine madness, the Maenads—led by his own mother Agave—mistake him for a wild beast and tear him apart. The tragedy serves as a grim warning against the rejection of the divine and the dangers of extreme hubris.

After aiding Theseus in his quest to defeat the Minotaur, the Cretan princess Ariadne was left behind on the shores of Naxos. Despairing and alone, she was discovered by Dionysus, the god of wine and festivities, who fell in love with her. He rescued her from her isolation, making her his immortal bride and placing her jeweled crown among the stars as the constellation Corona Borealis.