Gods and stories
Wine, Harvest and the Underworld
Demeter, Dionysus and the journey to the land of the dead
Two gods of the earth’s cycles, Demeter of the grain and Dionysus of the vine, stand close to the world of the dead. Their myths explain the seasons and promise renewal, while stories of journeys to the underworld test what happens after death.
- Persephone’s yearly return from the underworld explains spring.
- Dionysus brings wine, ecstasy and theatre, and punishes those who refuse him.
- Heroes and poets who visit the underworld bring back warnings for the living.
- Underworld
- The realm of the dead ruled by Hades (Roman Pluto), reached by crossing the river Styx.
- Bacchanal
- A painting of the drunken followers of Bacchus, the Roman Dionysus.
Works in this part
- The Abduction of Proserpina
- The Return of Persephone
- Bacchus
- Midas and Bacchus
- Dionysus Cup
- Charon Crossing the Styx
- Orpheus, Eurydice and Hermes
- Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld
- The Map of Hell
Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain