#bromios

EURIPIDES' INVOCATION TO DIONYSOS BROMIOS

O Bromius, leader, god of joy,

Bromius, take me there!

There the lovely Graces are,

and there Desire, and there

the bacchants have the right to worship.

The deity, the son of Zeus,

in feast, in festival, delights.

He loves the goddess Peace,

generous of good,

preserver of the young.

To rich and poor he gives

the painless delight of wine.

But him he hates who scoffs

at the happiness of those

for whom the day is blessed

and blessed the night;

whose simple wisdom shuns the thoughts

of proud, uncommon men.

What the common people

believe and do,

I too believe and do.

(trans. by William Arrowsmith, lines 412–430)

Dionysos Bromios at rest. 

There is something building in my diaphragm It is pushing at the base of my lungs It is overwhelming Sometimes I sit in class In the library On the bus In my bed

And I get the urge to scream

Hail to you, loud-crying God Who shakes my insides upside down You who puts bells in my ears and wailing in my throat You who visits infrequently, confusingly, terribly And sets my eyes stinging