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 semidivine
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?