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time he evaded their assaults by turning himself into various shapes； assuming the likeness successively of Zeus and Cronus； of a young man； of a lion； a horse； and a serpent。 Finally； in the form of a bull； he was cut to pieces by the murderous knives of his enemies。 His Cretan myth； as related by Firmicus Maternus； ran thus。 He was said to have been the bastard son of Jupiter； a Cretan king。 Going abroad； Jupiter transferred the throne and sceptre to the youthful Dionysus； but； knowing that his wife Juno cherished a jealous dislike of the child； he entrusted Dionysus to the care of guards upon whose fidelity he believed he could rely。 Juno； however； bribed the guards； and amusing the child with rattles and a cunningly…wrought looking glass lured him into an ambush； where her satellites； the Titans； rushed upon him； cut him limb from limb； boiled his body with various herbs； and ate it。 But his sister Minerva； who had shared in the deed； kept his heart and gave it to Jupiter on his return； revealing to him the whole history of the crime。 In his rage； Jupiter put the Titans to death by torture； and； to soothe his grief for the loss of his son； made an image in which he enclosed the child's heart； and then built a temple in his honour。 In this version a Euhemeristic turn has been given to the myth by representing Jupiter and Juno （Zeus and Hera） as a king and queen of Crete。 The guards referred to are the mythical Curetes who danced a war…dance round the infant Dionysus； as they are said to have done round the infant Zeus。 Very noteworthy is the legend； recorded both by Nonnus and Firmicus； that in his infancy Dionysus occupied for a short time the throne of his father Zeus。 So Proclus tells us that Dionysus was the last king of the gods appointed by Zeus。 For his father set him on the kingly throne； and placed in his hand the sceptre； and made him king of all the gods of the world。 Such traditions point to a custom of temporarily investing the king's son with the royal dignity as a preliminary to sacrificing him instead of his father。 Pomegranates were supposed to have sprung from the blood of Dionysus； as anemones from the blood of Adonis and violets from the blood of Attis： hence women refrained from eating seeds of pomegranates at the festival of the
Thesmophoria。 According to some； the severed limbs of Dionysus were pieced together； at the command of Zeus； by Apollo； who buried them on Parnassus。 The grave of Dionysus was shown in the Delphic temple beside a golden statue of Apollo。 However； according to another account； the grave of Dionysus was at Thebes； where he is said to have been torn in pieces。 Thus far the resurrection of the slain god is not mentioned； but in other versions of the myth it is variously related。 According to one version； which represented Dionysus as a son of Zeus and Demeter； his mother pieced together his mangled limbs and made him young again。 In others it is simply said that shortly after his burial he rose from the dead and ascended up to heaven； or that Zeus raised him up as he lay mortally wounded； or that Zeus swallowed the heart of Dionysus and then begat him afresh by Semele； who in the common legend figures as mother of Dionysus。 Or； again； the heart was pounded up and given in a potion to Semele； who thereby conceived him。
Turning from the myth to the ritual； we find that the Cretans celebrated a biennial festival at which the passion of Dionysus was represented in every detail。 All that he had done or suffered in his last moments was enacted before the eyes of his worshippers； who tore a live bull to pieces with their teeth and roamed the woods with frantic shouts。 In front of them was carried a casket supposed to contain the sacred heart of Dionysus； and to the wild music of flutes and cymbals they mimicked the rattles by which the infant god had been lured to his doom。 Where the resurrection formed part of the myth； it also was acted at the rites； and it even appears that a general doctrine of resurrection； or at least of immortality； was inculcated on the worshippers； for Plutarch； writing to console his wife on the death of their infant daughter； comforts her with the thought of the immortality of the soul as taught by tradition and revealed in the mysteries of Dionysus。 A different form of the myth of the death and resurrection of Dionysus is that he descended into Hades to bring up his mother Semele from the dead。 The local Argive tradition was that he went down through the Alcyonian lake； and his return from the lower world； in other words his resurrection； was annually celebrated on the spot by the Argives； who summoned him from the water by trumpet blasts； while they threw a lamb into the lake as an offering to the warder of the dead。 Whether this was a spring festival does not appear； but the Lydians certainly celebrated the advent of Dionysus in spring； the god was supposed to bring the season with him。 Deities of vegetation； who are believed to pass a certain portion of each year underground； naturally come to be regarded as gods of the lower world or of the dead。 Both Dionysus and Osiris were so conceived。
A feature in the mythical character of Dionysus； which at first sight appears inconsistent with his nature as a deity of vegetation； is that he was often conceived and represented in animal shape； especially in the form； or at least with the horns； of a bull。 Thus he is spoken of as cow…born； bull； bull…shaped； bull…faced； bull…browed； bull…horned； horn…bearing； two…horned； horned。 He was believed to appear； at least occasionally； as a bull。 His images were often； as at Cyzicus； made in bull shape； or with bull horns； and he was painted with horns。 Types of the horned Dionysus are found amongst the surviving monuments of antiquity。 On one statuette he appears clad in a bull's hide； the head； horns； and hoofs hanging down behind。 Again； he is represented as a child with clusters of grapes round his brow； and a calf's head； with sprouting horns； attached to the back of his head。 On a red…figured vase the god is portrayed as a calf…headed child seated on a woman's lap。 The people of Cynaetha held a festival of Dionysus in winter； when men； who had greased their bodies with oil for the occasion； used to pick out a bull from the herd and carry it to the sanctuary of the god。 Dionysus was supposed to inspire their choice of the particular bull； which probably represented the deity himself； for at his festivals he was believed to appear in bull form。 The women of Elis hailed him as a bull； and prayed him to come with his bull's foot。 They sang； Come hither； Dionysus； to thy holy temple by the sea； come with the Graces to thy temple； rushing with thy bull's foot； O goodly bull； O goodly bull！ The Bacchanals of Thrace wore horns in imitation of their god。 According to the myth； it was in the shape of a bull that he was torn to pieces by the Titans； and the Cretans； when they acted the sufferings and death of Dionysus； tore a live bull to pieces with their teeth。 Indeed； the rending and devouring of live bulls and calves appear to have been a regular feature of the Dionysiac rites。 When we consider the practice of portraying the god as a bull or with some of the features of the animal； the belief that he appeared in bull form to his worshippers at the sacred rites； and the legend that in bull form he had been torn in pieces； we cannot doubt that in rending and devouring a live bull at his festival the worshippers of Dionysus believed themselves to be killing the god； eating his flesh； and drinking his blood。
Another animal whose form Dionysus assumed was the goat。 One of his names was Kid。 At Athens and at Hermion he was worshipped under the title of the one of the Black Goatskin； and a legend ran that on a certain occasion he had appeared clad in the skin from which he took the title。 In the wine…growing district of Phlius； where in autumn the plain is still thickly mantled with the red and golden foliage of the fading vines； there stood of old a bronze image of a goat； which the husbandmen plastered with gold…leaf as a means of protecting their vines against blight。 The image probably represented the vine…god himself。 To save him from the wrath of Hera； his father Zeus changed the youthful Dionysus into a kid； and when the gods fled to Egypt to escape the fury of Typhon； Dionysus was turned into a goat。 Hence when his worshippers rent in pieces a live goat and devoured it raw； they must have believed that they were eating the body and blood of the god。 The custom of tearing in pieces the bodies of animals and of men and then devouring them raw has been practised as a religious rite by savages in modern times。 We need not therefore dismiss as a fable the testimony of antiquity to the observance of similar rites among the frenzied worshippers of Bacchus。
The custom of killing a god in animal form； which we shall examine more in detail further on； belongs to a very early stage of human culture； and is apt in later times to be misunderstood。 The advance of thought tends to strip the old animal and plant gods of their bestial and vegetable husk； and to leave their human attributes （which are always the kernel of the conception） as the final and sole residuum。 In other words； anim