Ariadne and Dionysus

Naxos those days was called the island of Dia (Zeus, Jupiter), and it just happened that the god of wine Dionysus was on the island when Theseus and Ariadne arrived.

When Dionysus saw Ariadne that night he felled in love with the beautiful princes and decided to still Ariadne from Theseus, marry her and make her immortal.

That very night Dionysus appeared in Theseus dreams and advised him to leave the island in morning without taking Ariadne with him or a big calamity will fall upon him.

- But Ariadne follow me on her own will! said Theseus in his dream. I intent to keep my promise to her, marry her and make her queen of Athens.

- And I also intent to marry her and make her immortal. Replied Dionysus. Which of us can make her happier? and do not forget my warning Theseus, said the god.

At daybreak, Theseus woke up before Aridane did, he walked near their ship and woke up the sailors and commanded them to make ready to embark from the island when suddenly a powerful wind storm broke up covering the land with sand and breaking the surrounding trees. Theseus run over where he left Ariadne sleeping but she was not to be found anywhere, nor anyone have seen her.

- She must have been swept away by the wind, said some of his comrades.

- No, we must find her, Theseus insisted.

Then he remembered his dream and realized that god Dionysus must have taken her from him. What ever he would have done there was no way to win over a god.

- We will leave this island, he said with tiers in his eyes.

- Do not be afraid Ariadne,
he said. You have lost
Theseus but a god will
marry you and make
you immortal.

Ariadne
was lost, she did
not know what to say or
do. Dionysus gave her to drink
from his cup of wine and
suddenly a cloud came upon them
lifting them up to mount Olympus.

There Dionysus wedded the beautiful daughter of king Minos and for a wedding present he gave her a golden wreath with diamonds that was made by Hephaestus. Zeus, gave her even a more big present, he make her immortal to leave among the Olympus gods.

The ancient Greeks where so much dazzled by Ariadne's golden wreath, that they name after her a constellation in the skies.

Another story of Ariadne's myth claims that Theseus abandoned the princess, because he was bewitched by a god or because he had fallen in love with her sister Phaedra. After she had given two children, Acamas and Demophon, to Theseus, fell in love with the his son Hippolytus that Theseus had by the Amazon. But as Hippolytus refused her she hanged herself when her passion was made public.

Some say that Ariadne hung herself after Theseus left her. Others say that she went with him to Cyprus, where she died in childbirth. Still others say that she bore Theseus two children. There is no way to decide which story, if any, is true.