Semele was the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, king and queen of Thebes, and the mother of Dionysus, god of wine. Zeus fell madly in love with her and made an oath to do anything that she asked. Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus,realized Zeus was in love with Semele and tricked Semele into asking Zeus to let her see him in his majesty. Bound by an oath, Zeus appeared before the unfortunate woman …showed first 75 words of 564 total…

…showed last 75 words of 564 total…the followers of Dionysus. The most important festival, the Greater Dionysia, was held in Athens for five days each spring.They were days of pure enjoyment. It was held in a theater, and the ceremony was the performance of a play. The greatest poetry in Greece was written for him.         Dionysus died with the coming of a cold, but he was always brought back to life. It was this joyful resurrection celebrated in his festivals.