Death and Rebirth of Dionysos in the New Sinai Hexameters

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Published: Dec 2, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14232/suc.2024.5.371-386
Keywords:
Orphism, Dionysos, Adonis, Giants, Titans, dismemberment, Greek fragmentary poetry, Sinai hexameters

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Niccolò Petronio

Abstract

The paper deals with four poetic fragments with Orphic content published in 2021 by Giulia Rossetto. The first two fragments (Ar–Av) depict a hitherto unattested encounter between Aphrodite and Persephone regarding the infant Dionysos; the others (Br–Bv) report the Orphic tale of Dionysos being lured by the Titans but with a variation involving the Giants. Based on the observations of various scholars, the paper draws attention to the similarities between the new fragments and the story of Dionysos Liknites, which frequently involves the death and rebirth of the god. Proposing to reverse the order of the fragments, it is suggested that the Sinai fragments also report this narrative and that the reunion between Dionysos and Aphrodite in Hades represents the god’s rebirth. To conclude, the paper addresses the dating proposed for the fragments (4th century BC), arguing that it might challenge previous beliefs about the earliest known account of Dionysos’ death and rebirth.

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How to Cite
Petronio, N. (2024). Death and Rebirth of Dionysos in the New Sinai Hexameters. Sapiens Ubique Civis, 5, 371–386. https://doi.org/10.14232/suc.2024.5.371-386
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Vol. 5 (2024): Sapiens ubique civis V
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Articles
Author Biography

Niccolò Petronio

is a PhD candidate in Classics at the University of Pisa. He previously graduated from the University of Florence with an MA thesis on the Orphic gold tablets of Mnemosyne, which involved a new critical edition of the texts and a philological reconstruction of the original. His PhD research project focuses on ancient Orphism, particularly the myth of Dionysos dismembered by the Titans, drawing from the recently discovered Sinai Hexameters.