Dionysia

[ dahy-uh-nish-ee-uh, -nis- ]

plural noun
  1. the orgiastic and dramatic festivals held periodically in honor of Dionysus, especially those in Attica, from which Greek comedy and tragedy developed.

Origin of Dionysia

1
1890–95; <Latin <Greek

Words Nearby Dionysia

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How to use Dionysia in a sentence

  • During the five or six days of the great Dionysia, the whole city was in a state of unwonted sanctity, under a taboo.

    Ancient Art and Ritual | Jane Ellen Harrison
  • Just outside the gates was celebrated yet another festival of Dionysos equally primitive, called the “Dionysia in the Fields.”

    Ancient Art and Ritual | Jane Ellen Harrison
  • Peisistratos left the Dionysia “in the fields,” but he added the Great Dionysia “in the city.”

    Ancient Art and Ritual | Jane Ellen Harrison
  • Besides, he said so himself in the letter which he sent Dionysia by one of his tenants, and which she mentioned to you.

  • And he went out, understanding very well that his being Dionysia's grandfather might keep Anthony from telling the truth.

British Dictionary definitions for Dionysia

Dionysia

/ (ˌdaɪəˈnɪzɪə) /


pl n
  1. (in ancient Greece) festivals of the god Dionysus: a source of Athenian drama

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012