For what the title says I do not know much, archaeologists know more (especialy for Dionysus in Delos island). For today’s worship of God Dionysus in Mykonos (figuratively) I know little, you certainly know more.

With such thoughts I was walking around Delos that morning. I was strolling around the ancient neighborhood called Dionysus’ neighborhood. It was still cool and the sun had not started burning the marbles. The wind smelled of dry grass and seaweed scent, brought by the sea wind (called Batis), blowing over the little harbor.

Delos particularly worshiped Dionysus. Today the cult (metaphorically speaking…) has moved to the opposite island with the super trendy nights and the frantic summers. Mykonos island is eminently the Dionysian Island of the area, the island of endless parties, orgies, happy drunk people and colorful crowds. Poor Delos has kept just the memory of the ancient God Dionysus…

Thinking about past glories and memories I reached a marble column and stayed petrified. At the top of the column were erected the towering remnants of a proud, untamed and oversized phallus. Further down, seated on another similar pedestal another  phallus was erecting his past glory. Surprised; Of course not. Well, we are at the sacred land of the god Dionysos not in a medieval monastery…

 

I looked at the ancient phalluses reading my travel guide when a group of tourists – who also seemed to admire the imposing phalluses on the pedestals – approached me. Especially two boys admired the phalluses quite much, laughing quietly …

– “Whow … what a place to party …”, said one of them.
– “Really sexy…” replied the other with a titanic affirmation.
– “Excuse me. Do you know who lived here;” the first boy asked me, seeing me reading in my book.

– “Somebody who worshiped god Dionysus …”, I replied.
– “Ohh … Dionysus doesn’t live here anymore my friend. Try Mykonos bars for better…” replied and both of them left laughing loudly…

How right they had been … The god Dionysus does not live here anymore, in Delos.

I continued to follow the trail crossing the rest of the ancient town. I left the bars of Mykonos for later.

(Here’s a nice photo of the house of Dionysus (2nd century BC) in Delos, where the famous mosaic depicting Dionysus on a panther was saved from destruction. How nice mosaic, a glory of Hellenistic painting …).

 

Where am I?
Mykonos is the most famous island of Greece and one of the top travel destinations in the world. The fastest way to get here is by airplane. The most popular way is by boat from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina. You will reach Delos by boat, which does daily trips from Mykonos harbor.