Blake Fleischer 11/11/14
Dionysus and Satyrs:
Greek mythology and application with theatre

Dionysus was the Greek god of wine and patron, who happened to have companions known as Satyrs; a hybrid of a man and horse. The stories of these two “species” have inspired many ancient Greeks. There was an abundance of art, monuments, and worshipping of Dionysus and his satyrs in ancient Greece. It was also known that Greeks loved to write plays about Dionysus and satyrs. Greeks went so far as too dress up their entire casting crew as furry, half-horse creatures - even the chorus. The Athenians built an entire theatre in honor of Dionysus. It is known that the Greeks loved their and therefore worshipped Dionysus accordingly.
The Greek satyr is a spirit of the wilderness and countryside. They are depicted as men with horse features such as nose, hair, legs, tails, and ears. They were companions of Dionysus, so they are almost always shown drinking wine, dancing, or playing Dionysus’ instruments like the flute and tambourine. Satyrs mated with mountain Nymphai; another species companion of Dionysus. The satyrs not only mated with nymphai, they also danced and sported with them. In Roman concepts of spirits, the similar “fauns” were men with goat-like features. In “Satyr-plays” that were performed in the festivals of Dionysus, the entire cast and chorus dress up as satyrs. They are characterized with drunkness, impudent sexuality, visual gags, pranks, and general merriment. Still, these plays educated its audiences with the history of the satyrs. Dramas usually included a hero, display the occasional cowardice of satyrs, and their mortal enemy: the Cyclops.
Dionysus is the Greek god of wine and patron. It is said that he invented the arts of growing and drinking wine. This god has a history – his father, Zeus, had an affair with a mortal named Semele. Zeus’ wife, Hera, was extremely jealous. She tricked Zeus into showing Semele his true divine form which instantly burnt her to a crisp. Zeus managed to rescue Dionysus and stitched him to his thigh until he was ready to be born. Hera, still madly jealous, arranged for titans to kill baby Dionysus. They succeeded, tearing the baby into pieces. Revived by a nature goddess, Rhea, Zeus secretly had the child raised by mountain nymphs for his protection. This story must’ve inspired many Greek playwrights, considering an entire theatre was built in honor of Dionysus. In this “Theatre of Dionysus,” Greeks conducted festivals, plays, orchestras, religious celebrations, and competitions. Greek “Tripods” were awarded to winners of competitions. Greek Tripods were three-legged pieces of religious furniture used for religious practices such as offerings. All the winning monuments were placed in the prestigious “Street of Tripods.” This theatre was a massive influence on Athenian entertainment. Annual “Festivals of Dionysus” were celebrated in the theatre, as well as many other plays and religious rites. The entire theatre could occupy 17,000 Greeks, a very large number by ancient standards.