Editing Dionysus (section)

===Descent to the underworld===
[[File:Nagarjunakonda Dionysus Palace site.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Relief of Dionysus, [[Nagarjunakonda]], Southern [[India]], third century. He has a light beard, is semi-nude and carries a drinking horn. There is a barrel of wine next to him.<ref name=MLV>{{cite book |last1=Varadpande |first1=M. L. |title=Ancient Indian And Indo-Greek Theatre |date=1981 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=9788170171478 |pages=91–93 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYuJWxLv-U0C&pg=PA91 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Carter |first1=Martha L. |title=Dionysiac Aspects of Kushān Art |journal=Ars Orientalis |date=1968 |volume=7 |pages=121–146, Fig. 15 |issn=0571-1371|jstor=4629244 }}</ref>]]
[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], in book II of his ''Description of Greece'', describes two variant traditions regarding Dionysus' [[katabasis]], or descent into the underworld. Both describe how Dionysus entered into the afterlife to rescue his mother Semele, and bring her to her rightful place on Olympus. To do so, he had to contend with the hell dog [[Cerberus]], which was restrained for him by [[Heracles]]. After retrieving Semele, Dionysus emerged with her from the unfathomable waters of a lagoon on the coast of the [[Argolid]] near the prehistoric site of [[Lerna]], according to the local tradition.<ref name=PausaniasII>Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'' book 2</ref> This mythic event was commemorated with a yearly nighttime festival, the details of which were held secret by the local religion. According to Paola Corrente, the emergence of Dionysus from the waters of the lagoon may signify a form of rebirth for both him and Semele as they reemerged from the underworld.<ref name="corrente2012" /><ref name="corrente2019">Corrente, Paola and Sidney Castillo. 2019. "Philology and the Comparative Study of Myths", The Religious Studies Project (Podcast Transcript). 3 June 2019. Transcribed by Helen Bradstock. Version 1.1, 28 May 2019. Available at: https://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/podcast/philology-and-the-comparative-study-of-myths/</ref> A variant of this myth forms the basis of [[Aristophanes]]' comedy ''The Frogs''.<ref name="corrente2012" />

According to the Christian writer [[Clement of Alexandria]], Dionysus was guided in his journey by [[Prosymnus]] or Polymnus, who requested, as his reward, to be Dionysus' lover. Prosymnus died before Dionysus could honor his pledge, so to satisfy Prosymnus' shade, Dionysus fashioned a [[phallus]] from a fig branch and penetrated himself with it at Prosymnus' tomb.<ref>Clement of Alexandria, ''Protreptikos,'' II-30 3–5</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Larson |first=Jennifer |date=6 September 2012 |title=Greek and Roman Sexualities: A Sourcebook |publisher=Bloombsbury Publishing |isbn=9781441153371 |page=44 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lhybtEbfwscC&pg=PA44 |language=en}}</ref> This story survives in full only in Christian sources, whose aim was to discredit pagan mythology, but it appears to have also served to explain the origin of secret objects used by the [[Dionysian Mysteries]].<ref>[[Arnobius]], ''Adversus Gentes'' [https://archive.org/stream/thesevenbooksofa00arnouoft#page/n279/mode/2up 5.28 (pp. 252–253)] {{Harv|Dalby|2005|pp=108–117}}</ref>

This same myth of Dionysus' descent to the underworld is related by both [[Diodorus Siculus]] in his first century BC work ''Bibliotheca historica'', and Pseudo-[[Apollodorus of Athens|Apollodorus]] in the third book of his first century AD work ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]''. In the latter, Apollodorus tells how after having been hidden away from Hera's wrath, Dionysus traveled the world opposing those who denied his godhood, finally proving it when he transformed his pirate captors into dolphins. After this, the culmination of his life on earth was his descent to retrieve his mother from the underworld. He renamed his mother [[Semele|Thyone]], and ascended with her to heaven, where she became a goddess.<ref>Apollodorus, ''Bibliotheca'' book 3</ref> In this variant of the myth, it is implied that Dionysus must prove his godhood to mortals and then also legitimize his place on Olympus by proving his lineage and elevating his mother to divine status, before taking his place among the Olympic gods.<ref name=corrente2012/>