This detail of Dionysis shows many of the attributes with which the god is identified. Note the garland of grape leaves about his head, appropriate since he was the god of wine, vegetation, and even immortality. He is always depicted with a beard, and his long and flowing hair is another trademark. Note that in red figure ware, the eye is no longer frontal as it was in black figure ware, and stares straight ahead, rather than at the viewer. Around his neck are tied the legs of a spotted leopard, another characteristic motif seen in most depictions of the god. In his hand can been seen the handle of a kantharos, a drinking cup for wine.
Detail of Dionysis, by the Kleophrades Painter
Greek Red Figure Amphora, 500-490 BCE
