A Greek name for the god Dionysus which was adopted by the Romans. He was the deity of wine and winemaking, as well as of the grape harvest. Drinking the wine could result in drunkenness, however this could also be seen as a form of ritual madness, frenzy, or trance. Festivals dedicated to him were predecessors to the development and understanding of Greek theater. His wild female followers were known as maenads and his male followers were ithyphallic satyrs.