Dionysus: the Olympian god of wine
Dionysus was the Olympian god of wine, fertility, festivity, and revelry. Known for his lack of fidelity, he stole the love of Ariadne from the hero Theseus and set in motion the chain of grief that bound Theseus to the service of the Sisters of Fate.
Dionysus was the Olympian god of wine, fertility, festivity, and theatre, numbered among the gods of Mount Olympus and counted a son of Zeus. Though he never crossed paths with Kratos directly, his appetites left their mark on the saga, for it was his theft of the love of Ariadne that helped bind the hero Theseus to the will of the Sisters of Fate.
The god of wine#
Dionysus held dominion over the grape harvest and winemaking, over fertility and vegetation, and over festivity, revelry, ritual madness, and theatre. He was reckoned among the Olympians and was known above all for his lack of fidelity, a reputation that would shape his part in the fate of others.
The sorrow of Theseus#
The wine god desired Ariadne, daughter of King Minos and the beloved of the Athenian hero Theseus. Dionysus forced Theseus to abandon her upon the island of Naxos so that he might take her for himself, and the spurned Ariadne laid a curse upon her former love. The grief of these events ran deeper still, for the tragedy was bound up with the death of Theseus' father, King Aegeus, who had taken his own life in sorrow believing his son dead. Driven by the loss of both his love and his father, Theseus entered the service of the Sisters of Fate, hoping they might grant the wine god a new lover and restore Ariadne to him, and return Aegeus to life. When Kratos later questioned why Theseus would surrender his love so willingly, he reminded the Athenian that Dionysus was not a god known for faithfulness.
Fate unknown#
Dionysus never appeared before Kratos and took no part in the defense of Olympus against him. He was therefore assumed to be among the few gods who survived the Ghost of Sparta's destruction of Olympus, and his ultimate fate remained unknown.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Dionysus in God of War?
- Dionysus was the Olympian god of wine, fertility, festivity, and theatre, a son of Zeus. He never appeared directly but was spoken of in connection with the hero Theseus, whose love Ariadne he took for himself.
- What did Dionysus do to Theseus?
- Dionysus forced Theseus to abandon Ariadne, the woman Theseus loved, on the island of Naxos so that the wine god could take her for himself. The loss helped drive Theseus into the service of the Sisters of Fate.
- Did Kratos kill Dionysus?
- No. Dionysus never confronted Kratos and was assumed to be among the few Olympians who survived Kratos' campaign of vengeance against the gods of Olympus. His ultimate fate remained unknown.
Sources
- WikiDionysus — God of War Wiki entry
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Related entries
Olympians
The Olympians were the third and final generation of gods to rule over Greece, led by Zeus after they overthrew the Titans in the Titanomachy. First the allies of Kratos and then his enemies, they were slain almost to the last across his years of vengeance, their fall bringing ruin upon all of Greece.
The Sisters of Fate
The Sisters of Fate were three Primordial sisters who held absolute power over time and the destiny of every mortal, god, and Titan. Loyal to Zeus, they stood between Kratos and the Loom of Fate, until he slew them and seized the power to change his own past.
Zeus
Zeus was the King of Olympus and ruler of the Greek Pantheon, the youngest son of Cronos who freed his siblings, ended the Great War, and claimed the heavens. Father of Kratos, he became the great antagonist of the Greek age and fell at last to the very son he had tried to destroy.
Kratos
Kratos was the demigod son of Zeus who rose from a Spartan general to the Greek God of War, destroyed the pantheon of Olympus in a quest for vengeance, and then began again in the Norse realms as a father seeking to leave his bloody past behind.
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus was the sacred home of the Olympian gods and the center of all Greece, ruled by Zeus from a golden palace. It rose from the Underworld after the first Titanomachy and was destroyed by Kratos in his war of vengeance against the gods.
Sparta
Sparta was a militaristic city-state of southern Greece and the home of Kratos. Patron city first of Ares and then of Kratos himself, it rose to terror across Greece under his command before Zeus destroyed it in revenge.
Mentioned in3 entries
Midas
King Midas of Phrygia was a mortal cursed with the golden touch, by which all he laid hands upon turned to gold, his own daughter among them. Kratos found him weeping in the Canyons of Sorrow and cast him into a river of lava, turning the king and the stream alike to solid gold.
Satyr
The Satyrs were fierce goat-headed creatures of the Greek world, half man and half goat, counted among the most formidable monsters Kratos ever faced. Once companions of revelry in the older myths, in the age of the gods they became disciplined warriors who fought in coordinated bands under their generals and commanders.
Theseus
Theseus was a Greek demigod, son of Poseidon and former hero-king of Athens, celebrated for slaying the Minotaur. Worn down by old griefs, he gave himself to the service of the Sisters of Fate as Keeper of the Horse Key, guarding the Steeds of Time until Kratos cut him down to claim the way forward.
Get new articles in your inbox
No spam. New lore drops, canon conflicts, and deep dives only when they’re worth reading.
Some links on Lore Fortress are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.