Editing Arion (section)

===Scholarly interpretations===
In light of the above parallels, [[Walter Burkert]] interprets the story as a significant development in the history of Dionysiac cult: "Released from this gloomy background, the cheerful and liberating legend of the sixth century further developed the image of the dolphin-rider under the colours of the renewed cult of Dionysus.".<ref>Burkert 1983:198f</ref> [[C. M. Bowra]]<ref>Bowra, "Arion and the dolphin", ''MR'' '''20''' (1963:121-34, reprinted in Bowra, ''On Greek Margins'' (1970:164-81).</ref> tied the myth to the period following the expulsion from Corinth of the aristocratic [[Bacchiadae]], who traced their descent from Dionysus: "the cult of the god had to develop new and more democratic forms."<ref>Burkert 1983:201)</ref>

Stewart Flory<ref>Stewart Flory, "Arion's Leap: Brave Gestures in Herodotus" ''The American Journal of Philology'' '''99'''.4 (Winter 1978:411-421).</ref> identified Herodotus' characteristic use of the episode in a historicising context as an example of what Flory calls his "brave gestures", a man faced with death performs with calm dignity some spirited but unnecessary gesture that demonstrates contempt for danger.