Taylor - Eleusianian and Bacchic Mysteries.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

Introduction. 23life and manners. The worship of Dionysus was thecenter of their ideas, and the starting-point of allspeculations uponthe world and human nature. Theytheirbelieved that human souls were confined in the body asin a prison, a condition which was denominated genesisor generation; from which Dionysus would liberatethem. Their sufferings, the stages by which theypassed to a higher form of existence, their katharsisor purification, and their enlightenment constituted thethemes of the Orphic writers.All this was representedin the legend which constituted the groundwork of themystical rites.Dionysus-Zagreus was the son of Zeus, whom he hadbegotten in the form of a dragon or serpent, upon theperson of Kore or Persephoneia, considered by someto have been identical with Ceres or Demeter, and byothers to have been her daughter. The former idea ismore probably the more correct. Ceres or Demeterwas called Kore at Cnidos.She is called Phersephattain a fragment by Psellus, and is also styled a Fury.The divine child, an avatar or incarnation of Zeus, wasdenominated Zagreus, or Chakra (Sanscrit) as beingdestined to universal dominion. But at the instigationof Hera* the Titans conspired to murder him. Ac-*Hera, generally regarded as the Greek title of Juno, is not thedefinite name of any goddess, but was used by ancient writers asa designation only. It signifies domina or lady, and appears to beof Sanscrit origin. It is applied to Ceres or Demeter, and otherdivinities.