Dionysos (Latin Dionysus) was the last of the gods to become an Olympian. He was the son of Zeus and Semelĕ, the daughter of Cadmos and Harmonia. This was another of the affairs of Zeus that infuriated his wife Hera whom tricked Semelĕ into demanding to see her divine lover in his full splendour. Zeus reluctantly agreed, and when he fully displayed his power his thunderbolt incinerated Semelĕ to ashes.
When sensing what would happen, Zeus immediately seized the child from its mother's body and stitched it into his thigh and at the appropriate time the child emerged perfectly formed. This is the reason the Dionysus became known as twice born. Zeus entrusted him to the care of nurses. Ino, the second wife of King Athamas of Orchomenos, was the first to take care of him.
Hoping to divert Hera's jealousy Zeus suggested dressing Dionysus in girl's clothing; but Hera was not fooled and caused both Athamas and Ino to go mad. Athamas killed his younger son, Learchos, by throwing him into a cauldron of boiling hot water, and Ino committed suicide with the elder boy, Melicertes. She threw herself into the sea with him, and later was transformed into the sea-goddess, Leucothea (white goddess), and the child became the little god Palaemon. After this tragedy Zeus placed the child in the care of the nymphs of Mount Nysa, which was often claimed to be upper Armenia, who disguised him as a kid, which may account for the epithet of "kid" later being applied to Dionysus in ritual.
According to another tradition, associated with the Greek Orphic mystery cult, Dionysus was born of an incestuous union between the serpentine Zeus and his daughter Persephone. Persephone also was born from such a union between Zeus and Rhea. This serpentine birth of Dionysus has been recognized as important in that the serpent is an arcane symbol of earth and water, both vital to life, and the serpent can penetrate the tomb, and in sloughing its own skin represent the resurrection of the dead. Dionysus' birth has been likened to that of Christ.
Dionysus discovered the grapevine and its uses while growing up in the countryside around Mount Nysa. But Hera was not through for him, for she caused him to go mad, and afterwards he wandered about the entire East, which began for Dionysus a series of triumphs. He was purified in Phyrgia by the goddess Cybele, the great goddess of the land, whom the Greeks often identified with Rhea and called the mother of the gods. Her cult was orgiastic, finding expression in violence, and was therefore vaguely connected to the cult of Dionysus.
When regaining his sanity Dionysus went to Thrace, but the ruler, Lycurgus, gave him a poor welcome. When the king about imprisoned him, Dionysus fled to Thetis, the Nereid. However, Lycurgus was able to capture the Bacchantes, women who followed the god and celebrated his rites. In return Dionysus made the king go mad, and while thinking he was cutting down a grapevine, Lycurgus severed his own leg with an axe. Further, his kingdom was beset by sterility. And, when an oracle was consulted, it declared that the king should be put to death; so his subjects tore his body to pieces.
From Thrace Dionysus went to India, in which he conquered armies that he mustered on his way by the aid of his own spells. With these troops he returned to Greece accompanied by a triumphal procession in a chariot decorated in vine-leaves and drawn by panthers; his escorts were the Seilenoi, Bacchantes, satyrs and other fertility demons, such as the god Priapos.
Eventually Dionysus reached Boeotia in Greece, which was his mother's region. It was his wish to introduce Bacchanalia into Thebes, where Pentheus reigned as king. During these revels, the populace, especially the women, went into a sort of a mystic delirium, and ran about the mountainsides shouting and oblivious to all decorum. Pentheus forbade such rites, but he received punishment from his own mother, Agave, in a state of religious fervour, tore him apart with her own hands when mistaking him for a fawn.
Dionysus demonstrated his powers in Agros in a similar way. There he drove the two daughters of King Proetos into madness, and they wandered about the countryside thinking they were cows. The seer Melampus cured them, and for this act obtained for himself and his brother Bias two-thirds of the kingdom of Argos. Another tradition attributes the delirium of Proetus' daughters to the wrath of Hera.
When Dionysus sought to gain access to Naxos he hired the services of pirates who tried selling him as a slave. The god changed their oars into serpents and filled their vessel with clinging ivy. Becoming afraid the pirates threw themselves into the sea and were transformed into dolphins.
As the final episode of his travels, Dionysus descended into the underworld in search of his mother, Semelĕ. Hades agreed to give Semelĕ back to Dionysus, and following this she took to the sky assuming the name of Thyonĕ. Before his return to Olympus, the god abducted the young Ariadnĕ, who was abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos, and made her his wife.
Thirty three years of democracy in Greece but h*ll i Cyprus.
Dear friends, I am open to discussion on facts. The President of USA,
Mr Bush is glorious and very proud when he talks about globalization,
freedom of speech, democracy, human rights and USA's role to defend the
world from terrorism.
What About Cyprus Mr Bush? Leader of the Earth, Planetarch, if you don't know where it is here is a map. Not this
But This
The
Cyprus matter is very sensitive and includes my personal feelings. In all my
political articles there have been attacks without a reason. This time I will
hit back very hard. I will not delete any reply or attack for having reasons to hit
back and that will be in form of eye to eye.
I condemn USA and NATO, the governments in Greece and
Turkey, the United Nations and European Union, They are all involved. To have
Cyprus separated in two parts was a common plan where USA, Great Britain and
their information service together planed and they are also involved in this great
conspiracy against the Cypriot People. In hundreds of generations from the
ancient ages Cyprus was settled by Hellenic inhabitants and Greeks.
Both Greece and Turkey are full members of NATO and UN.
Cyprus is strategically a perfect geographic area for militant actions
controlling the whole Middle East and South East Mediterranean. USA knew that it
was impossible for them to control the island as long as the Cypriots had free
elections. The plans on changing Cyprus status are from early sixties. First there
had to be a junta to control Greece, because free Greeks would never accept to
give Cyprus to the Turks or to make Cyprus a legal center for American bases.
Turkey is the American Police man in the area. They never had democracy and if
they will have the whole country will collapse. The USA government gave orders to the Greek Junta to
make a military coup against the legal government in Cyprus to give Turkey the
right to make an invasion. The result was the junta fell in Greece. Turkey made
the invasion and Cyprus is still crying
the loss areas and all killings, rapes, murders and relatives that strangely “disappeared”,
properties they lost, memories, the bones of their ancestors.
On July 20, 1974 Turkey undertakes a military invasion
of Cyprus which has as a consequence extensive destruction. On August 14 the
Turkish plan was completed with the second assault that culminated with the
occupation of 37% of Cyprus. The Turkish troops destroyed every hope that the
end of the Second World War would mean the phasing out of the horror of war
from Europe. Even worse, the extent of the destruction, the barbarity and
plundering which has been continuing for many years now, are reminiscent of the
dark days of the Middle Ages.
The misdeeds of the Turkish Attila are very
similar to the works of peril and destruction of the notorious king of the
Huns. This is the story. Detailed information you may find
if you use key words “Cyprus”, “Attila I”, Attila II, Greek Cypriots, Turk
Cypriots, etc. If you want a bleeding corner in Europe then you
nothing. If you really are a cultivated individual with free voice and speech raise
your voice. Tell the world that these sorts of actions are barbaric and bring
us back in time and memories to bore more hate more wars.
Briefly, in the aftermath of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
there are 4000 dead, 1619 missing, and 230,000 people displaced. The 37% of the
island which the Turks take contain 70% of the industry and mineral wealth, 80%
of the tourist attractions and 65% of the cultivated land.
For those who accuse
the United States of being involved in the invasion it is interesting to note
that on the 15th of July there are two intelligence reports at the State
Department's SE Europe section office. One says that there is no imminent coup
in Cyprus, the other that it has already begun. Still the belief of many is
that Henry Kissinger is deeply involved in the calamity. But one can understand
the confusion of the US administration during the crisis of Cyprus and the fall
of the Athens Junta for even as all this is unfolding, Richard Nixon is resigning
as President of the United States over the Watergate scandal and is
replaced by Gerald Ford who had himself replaced disgraced vice-president Spiro
Agnew.
Right
spelled "Spyro", a nice name on a sold politician. I would be very
ashamed being you, a Greek-American involved to sell Greece and parts
of its ethnically heritage to MONGOLS and TEUTONS. At that time Mr Bush
you were a member of "Skull and Bones" you should also be ashamed.
Are you involved Mr Bush? No, well take a look here or here.
I didn't write it but an American citizens did and Mr Bush keep your
hands off Cyprus and Greece. Let the Cypriots and Greeks live as
they consider best. The count down begun Mr Bush, for YOU and YOUR
Turkish comrades. Greece will be glorious again without American help
again. "Η ΡΩΜΑΝΙΑ ΚΙ ΑΝ ΕΠΕΡΑΣΕΝ ΑΝΘΗ ΚΑΙ ΦΕΡΕΙ ΚΙ ΑΛΛΟ" meaning if
ROMANIA (Greece of Byzantine Ages) fell it is blooming and it is coming
back..
Regardless of what the Americans knew or didn't know, the Athens
Junta's failed coup against Makarios which led to the Turkish invasion of
Cyprus is a tragedy that continues to this day. As of 2007 over 1500
Cypriot men, women and children are still missing.
Take your hands off Cyprus. Let the Cypriots live as
they consider best for them without any involvement from out. FREEDOM TO NOTHERN CYPRUS This
article is not against the American People. You all sail in same boat
as me and most of the victims of hard imperialistic and capitalistic
policy. Capitalism has no fatherland but you and me we all have.
Updated 2007.07.15
Article THE SUN London, Agust 8, 1974
Click above to get the article
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (scheduled next for May 28th, 2007).
Click on the picture (Video clip)
It
was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S.
men and women who died in military service for their country. It began
first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War.
After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or
military action; now, the day appears to have expanded to include any
person who was ever a service member who has since died, and
observances of the day appear to be dominated by still-living veterans.
One of the longest standing holiday traditions is the running of the
Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day
since 1911.
Now, many Americans use the date as merely marking the unofficial start
of the summer vacationing season, and many government parks and beaches
start their summer schedule on the Friday before.
The Glory Of Achilles The oath of the Gods, this day was fulfilled In the hear of the battle, Hector was killed See him Patroclus, down in the dust Rejoice in his death my aymbol of trust A dozen highborn youths, have been k...
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Sorry I haven't been around lately, lifes way to busy at this time. Hoping all is well with you and life it treating you good. Hugs to you and your family and see you around soon... Have an awesome weekend...xoxoxo...Sue
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