Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun plural Ancient Greek festivals held seasonally, chiefly at Athens, in honor of Dionysus, especially those held in the spring and connected with the development of early Greek drama.
from The Century Dictionary.
- In classical antiquity, the orgiastic and dramatic festivals celebrated periodically in various parts of Greece, in honor of Dionysus or Bacchus.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun plural (Class. Antiq.) Any of the festivals held in honor of the Olympian god Dionysus. They correspond to the Roman Bacchanalia; the greater Dionysia were held at Athens in March or April, and were celebrated with elaborate performances of both tragedies and comedies.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an orgiastic festival in ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus (= Bacchus)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The great feasts were commonly called Dionysia, from one of the names of that god, (58) and were solemnized in the spring within the city.
The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians and Grecians (Vol. 1 of 6) Charles Rollin 1701
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Therefore, this festival must have been officially known as the Dionysia έπί Ληναίω.
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Elaphebolion, and was called the Dionysia ἐν ἄστει, Αστικὰ, or
The Comedies of Terence Literally Translated into English Prose, with Notes Terence 1847
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Troth I know not that, * actual celebration, called the Dionysia: this was also the more apposite, as it was now this very comedy Avas in repre - sentation.
Comedies. Translated into English, with notes [by Richard Cumberland and others] 1812
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There are several theories about this, ranging from the dull (a goat might have been the prize at the Dionysia), to the moderately convincing (goats may once have been sacrificed to choral song, which evolved into tragedy as we know it, like in Antigone, etc.), to the highly impertinent (choral singers were young men much like goats in that they were hairy, smelly, and licentious).
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There are several theories about this, ranging from the dull (a goat might have been the prize at the Dionysia), to the moderately convincing (goats may once have been sacrificed to choral song, which evolved into tragedy as we know it, like in Antigone, etc.), to the highly impertinent (choral singers were young men much like goats in that they were hairy, smelly, and licentious).
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My name in torchlights at the Dionysia Amphitheater.
Artemis the Brave Joan Holub 2010
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He got the lead in a big production at the Dionysia Amphitheater in Greece, so he just took off.
Artemis the Brave Joan Holub 2010
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The star of the new play in the Dionysia Amphitheater—the biggest theater in all of Greece—has gotten a bad case of catarrh!
Artemis the Brave Joan Holub 2010
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The star of the new play in the Dionysia Amphitheater—the biggest theater in all of Greece—has gotten a bad case of catarrh!
Artemis the Brave Joan Holub 2010
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