DIONYSIA . A feast in honour of Dionysus, another name of the god Bacchus ( 2Ma 6:7 ). He was the god of tree-life, but especially of the life of the vine and its produce. The festival celebrated the revival of the drink-giving vine after the deadness of winter. It was accompanied by orgiastic excesses, themselves at once emblematic of, and caused by, the renewed fertility of the soil. The most famous festivals of Dionysus, four in all, were held in Attica at various periods of the year, corresponding to the stages in the life of the vine, the Anthesteria , the Lenœa , the Lesser and the Greater Dionysia. The Lesser Dionysia was a vintage festival held in the country in December; the Greater Dionysia was held in the city, and it was in connexion with this that the tragedies and comedies were produced in the theatre of Dionysus. Attendance at these plays was an act of worship. In 2Ma 6:7 we are told that Antiochus compelled the Jews to attend a festival of Dionysus, wearing wreaths of ivy , a plant sacred to the god.
A. Souter.