Dionysus and the Sun

Is it true that Dionysus was also considered a Sun God?

AgathonZante wrote:Is it true that Dionysus was also considered a Sun God?

In esoteric cults, and by Hellenistic times, yes, most definitely.

Why?

AgathonZante wrote:Why?

The "heart of Zagreus" is the cosmic intellect, as held in Orphism and explained by Proclus. As the cosmic intellect, it is the source of the logoi which order the mundane world. In this way, Dionysus emulates the sun, who is a demiurge in his own right and in turn emulates the demiurge of the hypercosmic Gods (that is to say, Zeus).

This is a common theme in much of Hellenic philosophy, Gods are identified with the sun because they share things in common with him.

Dionysus can also be indirectly identified with the Sun because of his role as a vegetative deity, with plants waxing and waning along with the path of the sun throughout the year.

Very interesting. I thought He could also be considered a Sun God because the cycles of the sun bring forth the wine by making its cultivation possible.

AgathonZante wrote:Very interesting. I thought He could also be considered a Sun God because the cycles of the sun bring forth the wine by making its cultivation possible.

All manner of practical reasons can be made for the identification.

According to Julian, Macrobius, Martianus Capella, Nonnus and a few Orphic hymns many gods could be identified or associated with the Sun.

Yes, there is some connection. Though Dionysos' connection with the Sun seems to be a more modern belief, similar to Apollon, His form Iakchos is connected to the underworld sun, which is sometime conflated with the moon.

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Yea he is the black sun. The sun of the underworld. As a god of rebirth he plays a role in the eleusinic mysteries along with demeter and persephone, which all are chtonic deities and are connected to earth and afterlife.