![]() ![]() Thee, Jove, and thee alone, thy Semele adores!Ĭease, cease your vows, 'tis impious to proceed,īegone, and fly this holy place with speed! Thy aid, pronubial Juno, Athamas implores! Ill-boding thunder on the right hand rolls, O'erwhelm'd with sudden night the day expires, Thunder is heard at a distance and the fire is extinguished on the altar. The morning lark to mine accords his note,Īnd tunes to my distress his warbling throat.Įach setting and each rising sun I mourn, Incline me to comply, or help me to refuse! O Jove! In pity teach me which to choose, Thy vengeance will o'ertake such perfidy. The altar and the statue of Juno is seen to bow. The Priests are in their solemnities, as after a sacrifice newly offered: flames arise from Near the altar is a golden image of the goddess. Overture Scene 1 Cadmus, Athamas, Semele, Ino and Chorus of Priests. Ino, Sister to Semele, in love with Athamas (mezzo-soprano)ġ. Wrapping UpĪlthough there aren’t many myths about Semele, her role as Dionysus’ mother and the intriguing way in which she died and then ascended to Olympus as an immortal or even a goddess makes her one of the most interesting of character in Greek mythology.Semele, Daughter to Cadmus, belov'd by and in love with Jupiter (soprano)Īthamas, a Prince of Bœotia, in love with, and design'd to marry Semele (alto) She was worshipped as Thyone, the goddess of inspired frenzy or rage. Semele was then made immortal and allowed to live on Olympus among the other gods. Dionysus knew she would be in danger as she left the Underworld, so he changed her name to ‘Thyone’ which has two meanings: ‘Raging Queen’ and ‘she who receives sacrifice’. With Zeus’ permission and help, he journeyed to the Underworld and had his mother released. As he grew into a young man, he wished to join the rest of the Gods on the top of Mount Olympus and take his place with them, but he didn’t want to leave his mother in the Underworld. Semele embracing her son Dionysus How Semele Became Immortalĭionysus was raised by his aunt and uncle (Semele’s sister and her husband) and later on by nymphs. Zeus named him Dionysus and is known as the ‘ twice-born God’, released from his mother’s womb and again from his father’s thigh. Once the cut was sealed up, the child stayed in there until the time came for him to be born. ![]() Zeus took him from Semele’s ashes, made a deep cut in his own thigh and placed the fetus inside. The child had survived Zeus’ presence since he was a demigod – half-god and half-human. Zeus was distraught, and while he couldn’t save Semele, he managed to save Semele’s unborn child. He turned into his true form, with lightning bolts and raging thunder and Semele, being only a mortal, burned to death in his glorious light. But she insisted and he was forced to grant her the wish since he had taken an oath he couldn’t go back on. ![]() Zeus knew that a mortal wouldn’t be able to view him in his true from and survive, so he begged her not to ask him to do this. Then Semele requested to see him in his true form. Oaths sworn by the River Styx were considered unbreakable. The next time Zeus visited Semele, she asked him to grant her a single wish which he said he would do and swore it by the River Styx. Semele, who was now beginning to doubt her lover, decided to confront him. She convinced Semele to ask Zeus to reveal himself in his true form the same way he did with Hera. At this point, Hera seized the opportunity to plant little seeds of doubt in Semele’s mind about Zeus, saying that he was lying to her. Over time, they grew closer and Semele confided in Hera about her affair and the child she shared with Zeus. Hera disguised herself as an old woman and gradually befriended Semele. When she found out about Semele, she began to plot her revenge against her and her unborn child. She was constantly vengeful and jealous with the women Zeus’ kept having affairs with. Hera, Zeus’ wife and goddess of marriage, found out about the affair and was furious. Soon, Semele discovered that she was pregnant. He began to visit her, but he never revealed his true form. Zeus was known for having many affairs with gods and mortals alike and this was no different. The story goes that Zeus watched Semele sacrificing a bull to him and fell in love with her. In some accounts, she’s described as being a priestess of Zeus. ![]()
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