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Hierax was telling Eulaeus of the last Dionysiac festival, and of the representation of the newest comedy in Alexandria, and Eulaeus assumed the appearance not unsuccessfully of listening with both ears, interrupting him several times with intelligent questions, bearing directly on what he had said, while in fact his attention was exclusively directed to the queen, who had taken entire possession of the Roman Publius, telling him in a low tone of her life which was consuming her strength of her unsatisfied affections, and her enthusiasm for Rome and for manly vigor.
In Greece dances were connected with many cults, among others with the Dionysiac ceremonies, out of which grew the Greek drama. Among the Hebrews the ancient ceremonial dance appears as late as the time of David, though it was then, perhaps, falling into desuetude, since his wife, Michal, is disgusted at his procedures.
A number of difficult passages in Euripides' Bacchae and other Dionysiac literature find their explanations when we realize how the god is in part merely identified with the inspired chief dancer, in part he is the intangible projected incarnation of the emotion of the dance.
Her blood coursed more swiftly through her veins, her head was on fire, she saw Irene close before her, tangibly distinct with flowing hair and fluttering garments, whirling in a wild dance like a Moenad at a Dionysiac festival, flying from one embrace to another and shouting and shrieking in unbridled folly like the wretched girls she had seen on her way.
Eos, Helios, Phoebus Apollo these had long been to him no more than names, with which he associated certain phenomena, certain processes and ideas; for he when he was not luxuriating in the bath, amusing himself in the gymnasium, at cock or quail-fights, in the theatre or at Dionysiac processions was wont to exercise his wits in the schools of the philosophers, so as to be able to shine in bandying words at entertainments; but to-day, and face to face with this sunrise, he believed as in the days of his childhood he saw in his mind's eye the god riding in his golden chariot, and curbing his foaming steeds, his shining train floating lightly round him, bearing torches or scattering flowers he threw up his arms with an impulse of devotion, praying aloud: "To-day I am happy and light of heart.
And history again explains this fact by referring to the connection of the institution with the Dionysiac Fraternity of Artificers, who were engaged in building the temple of Solomon, with the Workmen's Colleges of Numa, and with the Travelling Freemasons of the middle ages, who constructed all the great buildings of that period.
"I can still remember very well how at one of the great Dionysiac festivals, fired by the power of the god, you rushed through the streets with a deer-skin over your shoulders." "That was delightful lovely!" cried Doris with sparkling eyes. "But thirty years since it was all different, very different.
But whether this be so or not, whether the legend be a fact or a fiction, a history or a myth, this, at least, is certain: that it was adopted by the Solomonic Masons of the temple as a substitute for the idolatrous legend of the death of Dionysus which belonged to the Dionysiac Mysteries of the Tyrian workmen. The Union of Speculative and Operative Masonry at the Temple of Solomon.
Nothing in all Greece and that is saying very much could compare with it in its depth of divine mystery. If anything could, it would have been the drama; but no wailings were ever heard from beneath the masks of the stage like the wailings of Achtheia, no jubilant song of the Chorus ever rose like the paean of Dionysiac triumph.
A quantity of dresses for the Dionysiac processions are lying in our workshop and in half an hour I will be back with the things." "But pray make haste," Antinous begged him. "My master cannot bear to be kept waiting, and besides one thing " At these words Antinous had grown embarrassed and had gone quite close up to the artist.
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