The Two Great Gods of Earth –Demeter and Dionysus

Mankind’s Best Friends

Demeter Dionysus

Demeter (Ceres)

• the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth.

• had one daughter, Persephone (but being grasped away by Hades)

Persephone – the goddess of Spring

Hades carried Persephone off to the Dark Underworld

The Return of Persephone

Dionysus (Bacchus)

• the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy.

• a son of Zeus and the mortal Semele (Theban Princess), thus semi-divine Dionysus and Semele

Dionysus (Bacchus)

• kind and beneficent, but could also be cruel, barbarian and drive men mad

Dionysus and Maenads

Q & A• Review Question: As Olympians all get their jobs, who is to blame/

responsible for the financial crisis in Europe? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV98aRJ_IdQ

• Please list three features you observed from Dionysus and Demeter. What are they usually associated with? By what can you recognize Dionysus and Demeter from a painting?