DIONUSUS.
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Bryant, Jacob
The history of Dionusus is closely connected with that of Bacchus, though they were two distinct persons. It is said of the former, that he was born at [855]Nusa in Arabia: but the people upon the Indus insisted, that he was a native of their [856]country; and that the city Nusa, near mount Meru, was the true place of his birth. There were, however, some among them, who allowed, that he came into their parts from the west; and that his arrival was in the most antient times. He taught the nations, whither he came, to build and to plant, and to enter into societies. To effect this, he collected the various families out of the villages in which they dwelt, and made them incorporate in towns and cities, which he built in the most commodious situations. After they were thus established, he gave them laws, and instructed them in the worship of the Gods. He also taught them to plant the Vine, and to extract the juice of the grape; together with much other salutary knowledge. This he did throughout all his [857]travels, till he had conquered every region in the East. Nor was it in these parts only, that he shewed himself so beneficent a conqueror; but over all the habitable [858]world. The account given by the Egyptians is consonant to that of the Indians: only they suppose him to have been of their own country; and to have set out by the way of Arabia and the Red Sea, till he arrived at the extremities of the East. He travelled also into [859]Lybia, quite to the Atlantic; of which performance Thymætes is said to have given an account in an antient Phrygian poem.
After his Indian expedition, which took him up three years, he passed from Asia by the Hellespont into Thrace, where Lycurgus withstood him, and at last put him to flight. He came into Greece; and was there adopted by the people, and represented as a native of their country. He visited many places upon the Mediterranean; especially Campania, and the coast of Italy, where he was taken prisoner by the Hetrurian pirates. Others say, that he conquered all [860]Hetruria. He had many attendants; among whom were the Tityri, Satyri, Thyades, and Amazons. The whole of his history is very inconsistent in respect both to time and place. Writers therefore have tried to remedy this by introducing different people of the same name. Hence Dionusus is multiplied into as many [861]personages as Hercules. His history was looked upon as very interesting; and therefore was the chief theme of all the antient [862]bards. His flight, styled φυγη Διονυσου, was particularly [863]recorded. He was the same as Osiris; and many of the later mythologists acknowledged this truth. Αιγυπτιοι μεν γαρ τον παρ' αυτοις θεον Οσιριν ονομαζομενον φασιν ειναι τον παρ' Ἑλλησι Διονυσον τουτον δε μυθολογουσιν επελθειν πασαν την οικουμενην—Ὁμοιως δε και τους Ινδους τον θεον τουτον παρ' ἑαυτοις αποφανεσθαι γεγονεναι. The Egyptians, says [864]Diodorus, maintain that their God Osiris is no other than the Dionusus of Greece: And they farther mention, that he travelled over the face of the whole earth—In like manner the Indi assure us, that it is the same Deity, who wan conversant in their [865]country.
Dionusus, according to the Grecian mythology, is represented as having been twice born: and is said to have had two fathers and two mothers. He was also exposed in an [866]ark, and wonderfully preserved. The purport of which histories is plain. We must however for the most part consider the account given of Dionusus, as the history of the Dionusians. This is twofold. Part relates to their rites and religion; in which the great events of the infant world, and the preservation of mankind in general, were recorded. In the other part, which contains the expeditions and conquests of this personage, are enumerated the various colonies of the people, who were denominated from him. They were the same as the Osirians and Herculeans; all of one family, though under different appellations. I have shewn, that there were many places which claimed his birth; and as many, where was shewn the spot of his interment. Of these we may find samples in Egypt, Arabia, and India; as well as in Africa, Greece, and its islands. For the Grecians, wherever they met with a grot or a cavern sacred to him, took it for granted that he was born there: and wherever he had a taphos, or high altar, supposed that he was there [867]buried. The same is also observable in the history of all the Gods.
From what has been said we may perceive that the same history has been appropriated to different personages: and if we look farther into the annals of the first ages, we shall find more instances to the same purpose. It is said of [868]Cronus, and Astarte, that they went over the whole earth; disposing of the countries at their pleasure, and doing good wherever they came. Cronus in consequence of it is represented as an universal [869]benefactor; who reclaimed men from their savage way of life, and taught them to pass their days in innocence and truth. A like account is given of Ouranus, the great king of the [870]Atlantians, who observing mankind in an unsettled and barbarous state, set about building cities for their reception; and rendered them more humane and civilized by his institutions and laws. His influence was very extensive; as he is supposed to have had the greater part of the world under his rule. All this, and what was above done by Cronus and Astarte, the Grecians attributed to Apollo and Themis. Strabo mentions from the historian, Ephorus, that the oracle at Delphi was founded by these two [871]deities at the time, when Apollo was going over the world doing good to all mankind. He taught the nations, where he came, to be more [872]gentle and humane in their manners; and to abstain from their wild fruits, and foul banquets: affording them instructions how to improve themselves by cultivation.
Some of these persons are mentioned as proceeding in a pacific manner: but these peregrinations in general are represented as a process of war; and all that was effected, was supposed to have been by conquest. Thus Osiris, Hercules, Perseus, Dionusus, displayed their benevolence sword in hand: and laid every country under an obligation to the limits of the earth. The like is said of Zeuth, the Zeus of Greece, who was an universal conqueror and benefactor: [873]Τον Δια κυριον γενομενον τον ὁλων επελθειν ἁπασαν την οικουμενην, ευεργετουντα το γενος των ανθρωπων· διενεγκειν δε αυτον και σωματος ῥωμῃ και ταις αλλαις ἁπασαις αρεταις, και δια τουτο ταχυ κυριον γενεσθαι του συμπαντος κοσμου. Zeus (or Jupiter) having got the entire supremacy marched over the whole earth, benefiting mankind wherever he came. And as he was a person of great bodily strength, and at the same time had every princely quality, he very soon subdued the whole world.
No mention is made of any conquests achieved by Orus: and tho reason is, because he was the same as Osiris. Indeed they were all the same personage: but Orus was more particularly Osiris in his second state; and therefore represented by the antient Egyptians as a child. What is omitted by him, was made up by his immediate successor Thoules; who like those, who preceded, conquered every country which was inhabited. [874]Ειτα Οσιρις, μεθ' ὁν Ωρος, και μετα αυτον Θουλης, ὁς και ἑως του ωκεανου πασαν την γην παρειληφεν. After him (that is, Söus, or Sosis,) came Osiris; and then Orus: to whom succeeded Thoules, who conquered the whole earth quite to the ocean. The like history is given of him by [875]Suidas, and by the author of the [876]Chronicon Paschale.
These accounts I have collated, and brought in succession to one another; that we may at a view see the absurdity of the history, if taken in the common acceptation. And however numerous my instances may have been, I shall introduce other examples before I quit the subject. I must particularly speak of an Egyptian hero, equally ideal with those abovementioned; whose history, though the most romantic and improbable of any, has been admitted as credible and true. The person to whom I allude, is the celebrated Sesostris. Most of the antient historians speak of his great achievements; and the most learned of the modern chronologists have endeavoured to determine his æra, and point out the time of his reign. But their endeavours have been fruitless; and they vary about the time when he lived not less than a thousand years: nay, some differ even more than this in the æra, which they assign to him.