DionysosANCIENT

DionysosANCIENT_Exekias

Ancient Greek kylix depicting Dionysus sailing on a ship surrounded by dolphins, with grapevines growing from the mast

Dionysus in a ship has just transformed himself from the meek captive into the mighty divinity he is. The pirates who had abducted the young Dionysus have just now abandoned their ship and experienced their own transformation, into dolphins. The powerful god's association with viticulture is represented by the vine rising from his loins, running up the mast, and clustering in grapes over the ship:

"All at once a vine spread both ways along the top of the sail with many clustered spilling down from it, and a dark ivy-plant twined about the mast, blossoming with flowers, and with rich beries growing on it; and all the thole-pins were covered with garlands... And when the sailors saw it they leapt overboard one and all into the bright sea, escaping from a miserable fate, and were changed into dolpins." Hom. Hymn Dionysus 37 ff.