Dionysus and Politics in the Graeco-Roman World WH-KON-DionysusWor
The seminar aims at providing a short introduction to a fundamental feature of ancient political thought which until now has been largely neglected by mainstream academia, i.e. to the role that Dionysus played in Greek and Roman political thought. The students discuss the place of the god in Greek city-state politics, explore the long tradition of imitating Dionysus that ancient leaders, from Alexander the Great to the Roman emperors, manifested in various ways, and learn how the political role of Dionysus was reflected in Orphism and Neoplatonist philosophy. The political significance of Dionysus is reconstructed by examining different types of evidence: historiography, poetry, philosophy and art, while the seminar covers the period from archaic Greece to the late Roman Empire. Thus, the student can observe how ideas and political themes rooted in Greek classical thought were continued, adapted and developed over the course of history.
(in Polish) Dyscyplina naukowa, do której odnoszą się efekty uczenia się
(in Polish) E-Learning
(in Polish) Grupa przedmiotów ogólnouczenianych
(in Polish) Opis nakładu pracy studenta w ECTS
Subject level
Learning outcome code/codes
Type of subject
Preliminary Requirements
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
The student:
has a thorough knowledge of the religious and social
conditions of ancient civilisation, especially related to the cult of Dionysus.
is able to use the knowledge he has acquired to critically analyse and interpret literary works related to Dionysus and his symbolism.
analyses and interprets literary works related to Dionysus and his symbolism, as well as their cultural impact.
is able to use the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret written historical sources related to Dionysus and his symbolism, and to draw conclusions from them about historical and cultural processes.
is able to develop the results of their own research on Dionysus and his symbolism and present them in written or oral form in a way that demonstrates mastery of specialised terminology.
On the basis of the knowledge gained about the unifying and conflict-preventing role of Dionysus in ancient political thought, the student is prepared to participate actively and consciously in current cultural life and to fulfil his/her social obligations, demonstrating concern for the wider public interest.
Assessment criteria
For the grade of very good: the student has an in-depth knowledge of the religious and social conditions associated with the cult of Dionysus; can make full use of the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret literary works related to Dionysus and his symbolism, as well as their cultural impact; can make full use of the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret written historical sources related to Dionysus and his symbolism, and to draw conclusions about historical and cultural processes from them; is able to develop the results of his or her own research on Dionysus and his symbolism very well and present them in written or oral form in a way that demonstrates mastery of specialised terminology; on the basis of the knowledge acquired about the unifying and conflict-preventing role of Dionysus in ancient political thought, he or she is prepared to participate actively and consciously in current cultural life and to fulfil his or her social obligations, showing concern for the wider public interest.
For a good grade: the student has a good understanding of the religious and social conditions associated with the cult of Dionysus; is able to use the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret literary works associated with Dionysus and his symbolism, and their cultural impact; is able to use the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret written historical sources associated with Dionysus and his symbolism, and to draw conclusions about historical and cultural processes; is able to develop the results of his or her own research on Dionysus and his symbolism well and present them in written or oral form in a way that demonstrates mastery of specialised terminology; on the basis of the knowledge acquired about the unifying and conflict-preventing role of Dionysus in ancient political thought, he or she is prepared to take a reasonably active and informed part in current cultural life and to fulfil his or her social obligations, showing concern for the wider public interest.
For a sufficient grade: the student is sufficiently familiar with the religious and social conditions associated with the cult of Dionysus; he/she is able, in part, to use the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret literary works related to Dionysus and his/her symbolism, as well as their cultural impact; he/she is able, in part, to use the knowledge gained to critically analyse and interpret written historical sources related to Dionysus and his/her symbolism, and to draw conclusions about historical and cultural processes from them; is able to develop satisfactorily the results of his/her own research on Dionysus and his/her symbolism and present them in written or oral form in a way that demonstrates mastery of specialised terminology; on the basis of the knowledge acquired about the unifying and conflict-preventing role of Dionysus in ancient political thought, he/she is sometimes prepared to participate actively and consciously in current cultural life and to fulfil his/her social obligations, showing concern for the wider public interest.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: