Dionysiac
/ˌdʌɪəˈnɪzɪak
/(also Dionysian /ˌdʌɪəˈnɪzɪən/)
adjective
1 Greek Mythology Relating to the god Dionysus.This does not necessarily mean that Euripides was an initiate of Dionysian mysteries, or that his portrayal of the god's worshippers (the Maenads) is a honest one....
- The tribes also passed honorary decrees, awarded honorific crowns, and sponsored dinners for all members at the time of the Dionysiac and Panathenaic festivals.
- These are found in a number of myths, notably that of Endymion, and on Dionysiac sarcophagi, where personifications of the seasons often also appear.
2Relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature. Compare with Apollonian.His self-induced guilt of survival suppresses his innate Dionysian need for emotional connection....
- The stock market again shook off its moral stigma, its Dionysian aspects resurfaced and speculating on margin became as sexy as wearing short skirts and drinking bathtub gin.
- The Dionysian aspect of the aesthetic experience allows psychic energy that is normally barred from escape to flow out and include the object of perception.
