. Her name indicates that she is a mother. She is usually shown dressed in finery with long red hair that were usually worn in a bun with a veil over her head. She is often showed robed and sometimes holding a torch, in reference to the myth of her searching for her daughter. He touches a fennel staff with a pine cone on its tip. Demeter was also known as the goddess of health, birth, and marriage, and there were many festivals and celebrations held throughout the year to celebrate her. Demeter turned into a horse to avoid her younger brother's advances. They called the statue "Saint Demetra", a saint whose story had many similarities to the myth of Demeter and Persephone, except that her daughter had been abducted by the Turks and not by Hades. Triptolemus rode through Europe and Asia until he came to the land of Lyncus, a Scythian king. Hecate then approached her and said that while she had not seen what happened to Persephone, she heard her screams. Princeton University Press. [115][116][117], In an Argive myth, when Demeter arrived in Argolis, a man named Colontas refused to receive her in his house, whereas his daughter Chthonia disapproved of his actions. As she was an only child, Demeter gave her all of her attention and devotion to Persephone. Persephone was a child-woman before Hades abducted her, unaware of her sexual attractiveness, beauty, and innocence. Graves' work on Greek myth was often criticized; see, The idea that Kore (the maiden) is not Demeter's daughter, but Demeter's own younger self, was discussed much earlier than Graves, in. But she's not going to someone who has as grand as a mother or head of a household. 4- Even though she was one of the sisters of the supreme god, they had a daughter together Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades and became the queen of the underworld. According to Kernyi, "It seems probable that the Great Mother Goddess who bore the names Rhea and Demeter, brought the poppy with her from her Cretan cult to Eleusis and it is almost certain that in the Cretan cult sphere opium was prepared from poppies. At the heart of both festivals were myths concerning Demeter as Mother and Persephone as her daughter. She was also very modest and shy, so she earned the sympathy of the Olympian. Fleet Escort Demeter 106 (Destroyed or Decommissioned) 3 Unknown Demeter-type Fleet Escort Ships as part of Battlestar Group 75 (Destroyed or Decommissioned) 1 Unknown Demeter-type Fleet Escort Ship as part of the Ghost Fleet (Destroyed or Decommissioned) Demeter-type was designed by James Libbert for . Demeter is considered as a beautiful goddess in ancient Greek mythology. Peter Demeter, real-estate developer (b at Budapest, Hungary 19 Apr 1933). Demeter knew that Hades had tricked her daughter somehow but was unable to prove it. Poseidon was cooperative and helped the Greeks win . This led to Cronus disgorging Zeus siblings: his sisters Hestia, Demeter and Hera; and his brothers Hades and Poseidon. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Ancient Origins - The Rape of a Goddess: How Demeter Beat the All-Powerful Zeus, Demeter - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Demeter - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Thus, humanity learned how to plant, grow and harvest grain. Apollo. Feeling free and renewed, Demeter returned to the Olympus. Greek Mythology: Demeter - Personality & Temperament Personality & Temperament Demeter is known for being happy for two-thirds of the year (spring, summer, and fall) when her daughter was with her and sad for a third of the year (winter) when her daughter was in the underworld. Similarly, in popular culture, Demeter is depicted as an important deity to humans who is responsible for the fertility of crops and who controls the seasonal changes. [91], The myth of the capture of Persephone seems to be pre-Greek. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Online version at Internet Sacred Text Archive, Online version at Harvard University Press, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and is also known as the majestic queen of the underworld. Nilsson (1940), p. 50: "The Demophon story in Eleusis is based on an older folk-tale motif which has nothing to do with the Eleusinian Cult. Dionysus. They all saw through Tantalus' crime except Demeter, who ate Pelops' shoulder before the gods brought him back to life.[138]. This page describes her attributes, estate, sacred plants and animals. In art, she is often depicted as a redhead. It is said that those who find him, become very rich. Demeter was seen as a corn-mother, the goddess of cereals who provides grain for bread and blesses its harvesters. To reward his kindness, she planned to make Demophon immortal; she secretly anointed the boy with ambrosia and laid him in the hearth's flames to gradually burn away his mortal self. Demeter is assigned the zodiac constellation Virgo, the Virgin, by Marcus Manilius in his 1st-century Roman work Astronomicon. In response, Demeter neglected her duties as goddess of agriculture, plunging the earth into a deadly famine where nothing would grow, causing mortals to die. But after he married Persephone, he set Minthe aside. Demeter's two major festivals were sacred mysteries. Her Thesmophoria festival (1113 October) was women-only. Cronus ruled the earth as the king of the Titans and the God of time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [137], Once Tantalus, a son of Zeus, invited the gods over for dinner. The myth of her abduction by Hades was frequently used to . As a goddess of agriculture, she guaranteed the fertility of the earth and protected both farming and vegetation. Hades, Greek Ades ("the Unseen"), also called Pluto or Pluton ("the Wealthy One" or "the Giver of Wealth"), in ancient Greek religion, god of the underworld. Such depictions include the 1620 painting Offering to Ceres by Jacob Jordaens; and the 1960 sculpture Demeter by Jean Arp. [25] R. S. P. Beekes rejects a Greek interpretation, but not necessarily an Indo-European one.[15]. Tras la victoria de los olmpicos, Demter qued consagrada a sus funciones de protectora de las cosechas y la fertilidad de los campos. Demeter is usually portrayed as a fully-clothed and matronly-looking woman, either enthroned and regally seated or proudly standing with an extended hand. She was credited with teaching humans the art of growing, preserving and preparing grain and corn. Aphrodite took offence at their words. In Euripides's conception of the god, however, his numerous forms conform to the logic of duality, that is, they are both one thing and its opposite simultaneously. 14- From this relationship with Iasion, Pluto was born as the god of charity, who wanders through the world. However, Demeter is not generally portrayed with any of her consorts; the exception is Iasion, the youth of Crete who lay with her in a thrice-ploughed field and was killed afterward by a jealous Zeus with a thunderbolt. Cornucopia is a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce. It was seated on a rock, like to a woman in all respects save the head. [56] Her Eleusinian mysteries were open to initiates of any gender or social class. Characteristics: Parricide - Murder for hire: Number of victims: 1: Date of murder: July 18, 1973: Date of arrest: August 17, 1973: . Batay sa mitolohiya ng mga Griyego, siya ang nagturo sa mga tao kung paano magtanim at magsaka. Diodorus described the myth of Dionysus' double birth (once from the earth, i.e. "[42], Robert Graves speculated that the meaning of the depiction and use of poppies in the Greco-Roman myths is the symbolism of the bright scarlet colour as signifying the promise of resurrection after death. One of the most notable Homeric Hymns, the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, tells the story of Persephone's abduction by Hades and Demeter's search for her. She was consequently depicted with the head of a horse in this region. Despoine was another offspring of Demeter and Poseidon. He emerged victories and overthrew Cronus. [108], In the Pergamon Altar, which depicts the battle of the gods against the Giants (Gigantomachy), survive remains of what seems to have been Demeter fighting a Giant labelled "Erysichthon. She was portrayed as a mature woman, often seated on a throne and wearing a crown. iii.62). According to an agrarian-belief in ancient Greece, a new life always sprouts from the remains of a dead body just like a new plant arises from buried seed. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Demeter is rarely mentioned by Homer, nor is she included among the Olympian gods, but the roots of her legend are probably ancient. Her attributes were connected chiefly with her character as goddess of agriculture and vegetationears of grain, the mystic basket filled with flowers, grain, and fruit of all kinds. The most famous myth featuring Demeter is the loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; and she is often depicted in art and literature in relation to this myth. Demeter's absence caused the death of crops, livestock, and eventually of the people who depended on them (later Arcadian tradition held that it was both her rage at Poseidon and her loss of her daughter caused the famine, merging the two myths). According to the Athenian rhetorician Isocrates, Demeter's greatest gifts to humankind were agriculture, particularly of cereals, and the Mysteries, which give the initiate higher hopes in this life and the afterlife. Hades was a son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and brother of the deities Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia. This festival is to be distinguished from the later sacrifice of a ram to the same goddess on the sixth of the month Thargelion, probably intended as an act of propitiation. Moreover, just like the Thesmophoriafestival was held to honor Demeter, Ceres was too honored by a major Roman festival known as Cerealia. [2] In Greek tradition, Demeter is the second child of the Titans Rhea and Cronus, and sister to Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. [114] In other versions, Persephone herself is the one who kills and turns Minthe into a plant for sleeping with Hades. [6] An early name which may refer to Demeter, si-to-po-ti-ni-ja (Sito Potnia), appears in Linear B inscriptions found at Mycenae and Pylos. The son of a wealthy family impoverished as a consequence of WWII, Demeter immigrated to Canada in 1956 and by 1962 had embarked on a . DEMETER was the Olympian goddess of agriculture, grain and bread. [47] During the Bronze Age, a goddess of nature dominated both in Minoan and Mycenean cults, and Wanax (wa-na-ka) was her male companion (paredros) in the Mycenean cult. She plays an important role in the legends told about the fall of Troy. Demeter abandoned the attempt. Formally, the Interstellar Travel Resource Manufactury-Ship Demeter (, Seikan Kk Busshi Seisan-kan Demeteru? Demeter was said to watch over all aspects of farming, including plowing, planting, and harvesting. [45] In Crete, Poseidon was often given the title wa-na-ka (wanax) in Linear B inscriptions, in his role as King of the Underworld, and his title E-ne-si-da-o-ne indicates his chthonic nature. Along with his siblings, the Hecatonchires, and the Cyclopes; Zeus then fought against Cronus and the other Titans in the Titanomachy. * Zeus and Hades were his brothers. She was worshipped by the humans of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. According to Greek mythology, Cronus overthrew his father Uranus and ruled over the world along with his wife Rhea. [1] She is also called Deo (). In one of the regional units of Greece i.e. She assumed the form of an old woman and asked him for shelter. Demeter then filled with anger. [102], In Arcadia, located in what is now southern Greece, the major goddess Despoina was considered the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon Hippios ("Horse-Poseidon"). Together they had two sons, Ploutos and Philomelos. Hence, she decided to bathe on the Ladon River, which was known for carrying away all the sad feelings and memories by its waters. Demeter was an influential goddess with many characteristics, and a unique history. According to Pausanias, a Thelpusian tradition said that during Demeter's search for Persephone, Poseidon pursued her. Greeks dedicated a temple to Demeter which was situated in the peripheral area of the Sangri village on Naxos island. In that wider sense Demeter was akin to Gaea (Earth), with whom she had several epithets in common, and was sometimes identified with the Great Mother of the Gods (Cybele, also identified with Rhea). Kernyi 1951, pp. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. [66] An alternate recounting of the matter appears in a fragment of the lost Orphic theogony, which preserves part of a myth in which Zeus mates with his mother, Rhea, in the form of a snake, explaining the origin of the symbol on Hermes' staff. In the cult of Flya, she was worshipped as Anesidora who sends up gifts from the Underworld. Aphrodite asks the two to search for her; the two try to talk sense into her, arguing that her son is not a little boy, although he might appear as one, and there's no harm in him falling in love with Psyche. They are portrayed in three distinctive phases, namely, thedescent(loss), thesearch, and theascent. At the beginning of the autumn, when the corn of the old crop is laid on the fields, she ascends and is reunited with her mother, Demeter, for at this time, the old crop and the new meet each other. It arrived along with its Greek priestesses, who were granted Roman citizenship so that they could pray to the gods "with a foreign and external knowledge, but with a domestic and civil intention". After Cronus was overthrown by his sons, his kingdom was divided among them, and the underworld fell by lot . The myth has several versions; some are linked to figures such as Eleusis, Rarus and Trochilus. The prevalent style in Rhodes exaggerated characteristics in the carving to emphasize the delicate translucent nature of the drapery and the . The festival used to take place mostly around the time when seeds were sown in late autumn. Persephone is the wife of Hades. Goddess of the harvest [3] and earth [1] Contents 1 History 1.1 Origin 1.2 Early years 1.2.1 Titanomachy 1.2.2 Relationship with Zeus 1.2.3 Abduction of Persephone She personifies the devoted mother and is especially sacred to mothers and daughters. Joshua Yi 6/2/2022 CLA395 Hymn to Demeter (The rape of Persephone) The Hymn to Demeter is a poem about Hades and a woman . However in the underworld her hair seems to darken and her style seems to change. These usually happened in the fall. [128] Sometime later, Psyche in her wanderings came across an abandoned shrine of Demeter, and sorted out the neglected sickles and harvest implements she found there. [19], Wanax (wa-na-ka) was her male companion (Greek: , Paredros) in Mycenaean cult. Eventually, Erysichthon ate himself. Finally, the decomposed remains were scattered on fields when seeds were sown, in the belief that this would ensure a good harvest. This was her main function at Eleusis, and she became panhellenic. Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved to L.C. Y. Duhoux and A. Morpurgo-Davies, Companion to Linear B, vol. [124], During her wanderings, Demeter came upon the town of Pheneus; to the Pheneates that received her warmly and offered her shelter, she gave all sorts of pulse, except for beans, deeming it impure. Another myth involving Demeter's rage resulting in famine is that of Erysichthon, king of Thessaly. The Phrygians, first-born of mankind, call me the Pessinuntian Mother of the gods; the ancient Eleusinians Actaean Ceres; and the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning, honour me with the worship which is truly mine and call me by my true name: Queen Isis. The king used an axe to cut it down, killing a dryad nymph in the process. Persephone is a living example of youth, beauty, and life, and draws the attention of the king of the dead (Not to be confused with death itself, who is Thanatos ). Thesmophoria was held for three days in Athens. In addition to her role as an agricultural goddess, Demeter was often worshipped more generally as a goddess of the earth. 1108 Demeter, provisional designation 1929 KA, is a dark asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) in diameter.It was discovered on 31 May 1929, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Knigstuhl State Observatory near Heidelberg, Germany. [54] The locals covered the statue with flowers to ensure the fertility of their fields. Lyncus pretended to offer what's accustomed of hospitality to him, but once Triptolemus fell asleep, he attacked him with a dagger, wanting to take credit for his work. Horns belong to the cow. ), she was in charge of the waste management and natural resource extraction of the planet. [30] Demeter's emblem is the poppy, a bright red flower that grows among the barley. Like her other siblings but Zeus, she was swallowed by her father as an infant and rescued by Zeus. Demeter, being a goddess of agriculture, is often portrayed with a cornucopia. The Romans identified Demeter with Ceres. Origins Demeter was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea, who were Titans. Their rites were intended to secure a good harvest and increase the fertility of those who partook in the mysteries. Hermes tells Perseus where to go to get tools for battle. [77], Demeter's daughter Persephone was abducted to the Underworld by Hades, who received permission from her father Zeus to take her as his bride. "[67][68], Before her abduction by Hades, Persephone was known as Kore ("maiden"), and there is some evidence that the figures of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and Kore, daughter of Demeter, were initially considered separate goddesses. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It is so named as it was based in the ancient Greek suburb of Eleusis. Demeter is the Greek goddess of agriculture, fertility, and harvest, and presided over sacred law, including the cycle of life and death. The epithets Erinys (Avenger) and Melaina (the Black One) as applied to Demeter were localized in Arcadia and stress the darker side of her character. The Eleusinian Mysteries mainly revolve around the mythical incident where Demeters daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades, the king of the underworld. Despoina (by Poseidon) Arion (by Poseidon) Plutus (by Iasion) Philomelus (by Iasion) Eubolus (by Carmanor) Amphitheus I (by Triptolemus) Found this on Demeter's Wikipedia page. Demeter sings as part of the Gumbie Trio in "The Old Gumbie Cat" with Bombalurina and Jellylorum, and sings a solo verse in "Grizabella the Glamour Cat".Her biggest part is in "Macavity the Mystery Cat", which she sings and dances with Bombalurina.She is usually played by a mezzo soprano or alto singer. Karl Kernyi asserted that poppies were connected with a Cretan cult which was eventually carried to the Eleusinian Mysteries in Classical Greece. However, because Persephone had eaten food from the Underworld, she could not stay with Demeter forever but had to divide the year between her mother and her husband, explaining the seasonal cycle, as Demeter does not let plants grow while Persephone is gone. Finally, he sold his daughter, Mestra, into slavery. Only Demeter standards consistently exclude dehorning and genetic hornless breeding as horns are an integrative part of the animal. The identity of the two divinities addressed as wanassoi, is uncertain ": George Mylonas (1966) Mycenae and the Mycenean age" p. 159 :Princeton University Press, George Mylonas (1966), "Mycenae and the Mycenean world ". Moreover, there wasa major festival dedicated to herwhich was calledThesmophoria. Hesiod's Theogony (c. 700 BC) describes Demeter as the second daughter and child of Cronus and Rhea. Demeter was one of the oldest gods in the ancient Greek pantheon. In art, the constellation Virgo holds Spica, a sheaf of wheat in her hand and sits beside constellation Leo the Lion. Persephone would be allowed to leave Hades for half the year and stay with . [27], A sculpture of the Black Demeter was made by Onatas.[28]. Daughter of Demeter Persephone is a true nature child, being the daughter of the goddess of the harvest. 1- In Greek mythology, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture, harvest, abundance, fruits, and cereals. The ancients believed that those who did not do proper honor to Demeter risked starving to death. Although she is mostly known as a grain goddess, she also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, and marriage, and had connections to the Underworld. She acts as the mother of Persephone and she forbids her to do a variety of things in order for her to be safe. [132] Plemaeus built a temple to her to thank her. [43], The earliest recorded worship of a deity possibly equivalent to Demeter is found in Linear B Mycenean Greek tablets of c. 14001200 BC found at Pylos. Demeter, daughter of Chronos, mother of Persephone, sister of Hera, may not be one of the better known Greek gods and goddesses, but she is one of the most important.. A member of the original twelve Olympians, she played a central role in the creation of seasons.Demeter was worshiped well before many of the other Greek gods and was the key figure of many female-only cults and festivals. Colontas was punished by being burnt along with his house, while Demeter took Chthonia to Hermione, where she built a sanctuary for the goddess. Thus, Dionysus is presented as being both inside and . "So it was when Demeter of the braided tresses followed her heart and lay in love with Iasion in the triple-furrowed field; Zeus was aware of it soon enough and hurled the bright thunderbolt and killed him. In addition to Zeus, Demeter had a lover, Iasion (a Cretan), to whom she bore Plutus (Wealth; i.e., abundant produce of the soil). [129], When her son Philomelus invented the plough and used it to cultivate the fields, Demeter was so impressed by his good work that she immortalized him in the sky by turning him into a constellation, the Botes. Demeter is a minor character in the Goddess Girls series. This was most likely a belief shared by initiates in Demeter's mysteries, as interpreted by Pindar: "Blessed is he who has seen before he goes under the earth; for he knows the end of life and knows also its divine beginning. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. [1] Demeter had one daughter named Persephone. Corne et bouse de vache. At the Aventine, the new cult took its place alongside the old. In The Lost Hero, the gods are shown to be able to influence what powers their . She wasone of the most prominent figures in Greek mythology and she is one of the 12 most important Greek gods and goddesses. Flowers covered every meadow and trees grew tall into the sky. The asteroid was named after Demeter, the Greek goddess of fruitful soil and agriculture. [60], Beginning in the 5th century BCE in Asia Minor, Demeter was also considered equivalent to the Phrygian goddess Cybele. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. As she was doing so, Demeter appeared to her and called from afar; she warned the girl of Aphrodite's great wrath and her plan to take revenge on her. She has seven . Facts about Dionysus 4: the cult images of Dionysus. Hades' Characteristics Like Zeus, Hades is usually represented as a vigorous bearded man. Demeter goes in search of Persephone and, during her journey, reveals her secret rites to the people of Eleusis, who had hospitably received her (see Eleusinian Mysteries). [26], In Arcadia, she was known as "Black Demeter". Tous les produits biodynamiques ont donc t cultivs avec des produits d'origines animales, comme des crnes d'animaux domestiques, des vessies de cerfs, des intestins ou des msentres de bovins. (6) The Skirophoria held in midsummer, a companion festival. Probably the earliest Amphictyony centred on the cult of Demeter at Anthele (), lay on the coast of Malis south of Thessaly, near Thermopylae. In Cyprus, "grain-harvesting" was damatrizein. View Hymn of Demeter Final.pdf from CLA 395 at University of Rhode Island. However, he was described as half naked or completely naked androgynous youth with sensuous and breadless look in the later images. a programming tool -- it is the thing from which applications are built. Demeter was most pleased with the sight and delighted she accepted the food and wine. Apart from being the goddess of harvest and agriculture, Demeter was also seen as the goddess of Earth and the underworld. But see Ventris/Chadwick. The second phase deals with how Demeter searched high and low for her daughter. The Temple of Demeter was built around 6th century BC and was eventually replaced by a church in later centuries. Si Demeter ay ang pangatlong kapatid na babae ni Zeus, ayon sa mitolohiyang Griyego. [39] Her priest would put on the mask of Demeter, which was kept secret. [27] Demeter washed away her anger in the River Ladon, becoming Demeter Lousia, the "bathed Demeter".[103]. Greek Gods / Persephone. 16- For comparison purposes: Demeter in Greek mythology is the same as Ceres in Roman mythology. Demeter, in Greek religion, daughter of the deities Cronus and Rhea, sister and consort of Zeus (the king of the gods), and goddess of agriculture. d) Why was it especially appropriate that this ritual be associated with Demeter, rather than with another goddess? It is introduced to let Demeter reveal herself in her divine shape". Her mother is also affectionately known as Mother Nature. [65], Demeter is notable as the mother of Persephone, described by both Hesiod and in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter as the result of a union with her younger brother Zeus. Theocritus described one of Demeter's earlier roles as that of a goddess of poppies: For the Greeks, Demeter was still a poppy goddess Witnessing that, Misme's son Ascalabus laughed, mocked her, and asked her if she would like a deep jar of that drink. As the Greek goddess of agriculture, Demeter was associated with fertility and plenty. Through her brother Zeus, she became the mother of Persephone, a fertility goddess. Poseidon Worksheets Demeter's Appearance: Usually a pleasant-looking mature woman, generally with a veil over her head though her face is visible. Often carrying wheat or her Horn. Although she was most often referred to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death. In Hesiod, prayers to Zeus-Chthonios (chthonic Zeus) and Demeter help the crops grow full and strong. 10 Major Accomplishments of Michael Jordan, 10 Most Famous Myths Featuring The Greek Goddess Demeter, 10 Major Accomplishments of Napoleon Bonaparte, 10 Major Achievements of The Ancient Inca Civilization, 10 Major Battles of the American Civil War, 10 Major Effects of the French Revolution, 10 Most Famous Novels In Russian Literature, 10 Most Famous Poems By African American Poets, 10 Facts About The Rwandan Genocide In 1994, Black Death | 10 Facts On The Deadliest Pandemic In History, 10 Interesting Facts About The American Revolution, 10 Facts About Trench Warfare In World War I, 10 Interesting Facts About The Aztecs And Their Empire. Online version at the Topos Text Project. She was also known as Mother-Earth in pre-Hellenic cults and cults of Minoan Crete. Poseidon also deceived Demeter and transformed himself into a stallion. However he was told that one of his children would go on to overthrow him like he had overthrown his father. Demeteru Characteristics Race God Gender Female Hair Color Honey Eye Color Orange Height 162 cm (5'4") Professional Status Affiliation Demeter Familia Personal Status Status Alive Debuts Light Novel DanMachi Volume 2 Sword Oratoria Volume 1 Episode Ryuu Manga DanMachi Chapter 20 Sword Oratoria Chapter 7 Episode Ryuu Chapter 15 Anime Dionysus was depicted as a robed, bearded and mature male figure in the earliest cult images.