THE GREAT GREEK CONQUERER: THE GOD OF WINE

We are all well aware of the Alexandrian conquest in the Indian subcontinent. But did you know, according to a Greek epic written by Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysus, the Grecian god of wine conquered and ruled over the Indian subcontinent? Let us know more about this intriguing mythological tale.

 2nd-century Roman statue of Dionysus. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Nonnus was born in a southern city of Egypt called Panopolis (present-day Akhmim). There is very little information on his life, the day he was born and how he lived it. While dating his poem- Dionysiaca, scholars believe that it was written between the later part of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century CE.

This period was a transitional period in the European continent when the cultural influence of the Roman Empire was in danger and the Germanic tribes took over the region and imposed Christianity as the official religion of the territory. It is believed that Nonnus was also Christianised in the later years of his life.

Nonnus was a brilliant poet and was known for a variety of his works. However, it was his writings on the Greek gods that made him popular. Dionysiaca is one such creation. According to this poem, it was Dionysus and not Alexander who conquered the Indian subcontinent and created an influential relationship between the Indians and the Greeks.

The poem starts with the birth of Dionysus with three different stories and instances stating three different births. According to the legend, Dionysus had to travel to Asia to teach the Easterners the art of winemaking.

This humongous epic dictates every legend of Dionysus and starts the story of Indian conquest with Zeus’ order. Zeus wanted Dionysus to travel to India and convince the Indians to believe in Zeus and adore him. Indians were very stubborn and wanted to worship their god of fire and water while refusing to worship Zeus, the god of sky and thunder. Moreover, Indians refused to drink the wine that Dionysus is regarded for. Hence, under the order of Zeus, Dionysus took a strong and enormous army to the East to convince them and influence their religious ideologies.

If we go into the depth of this poem to find out the accuracies of the Indian subcontinent and historical consciousness, we might find only a few. However, this type of legend provides us with a new perspective while viewing the relationship Indians and Greeks shared and how wine found its way into the Indian subcontinent.

While he marched across ancient India, he mated with several lovers including the young Aura, Nicaea, and many more.

As the epic escalates there was a mention of Deriades, ruler of India and the son of Jhelum River. Being a half water god, Deriades only drank water and looked down upon wine. He fought several wars with Dionysus and tried to defeat him through the Brahmin’s help and sorcery. However, in the end, Deriades had to succumb to Dionysus and accept his power as a god. After his success and victory, Dionysus returns to his home with even more love affairs than before.

Another tale mentioned in the epic’s book 13th is how the Indian army consumed alcohol or wine for the first time. The Dionysian army that largely consisted of Becchants or maenads encounters the Indian troops. The Indian troops face a lot of difficulties defeating the Dionysian army and as if sympathising with his foes, Dionysus transformed the nearby lake into wine. To quench their thirst, the Indian troops run towards this lake and consume wine in large quantities. Since it was their first time, the troops get drunk and fall asleep. Dionysus takes this as an opportunity to bound and imprison the Indian troops, defeating and winning over them.

2nd-century Roman statue of Dionysus. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Dionysus with his drinking cup. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons