might go into mad states where they would rip
             apart and eat raw any animal they came upon.
             Dionysus was also one of the very few that was able to bring a dead person out of the
             underworld. Even though he had never seen Semele, he was concerned for her. Eventually
             he journeyed into the underworld to find her. He faced down Thanatos (Death) and
             Dionysus became one of the most important gods in everyday life. He became
             associated with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death. Here his
             dismemberment by the Titans and return to life is symbolically echoed in tending vines,
             where the vines must be pruned back sharply, and then become dormant in winter for them
             to bear fruit. The other is the idea that under the influence of wine, one could feel
             possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods, Dionysus was not only outside his
             believers but, also within them. At these times, a man might be greater then himself and do
             The festival for Dionysus is in the spring when the leaves begin to reappear on the vine. It
             became one of the most important events of the year. Its focus became the theater. Most
             of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed at the feast of Dionysus.
             ...