god of wine and pleasure son of the supreme god Zeus and Semele, the daughter of a king. sometimes would be extremely happy and bring joy to the people, but at other times, he was angry and violent. This was how the Greeks represented the effects that wine can have on a person. He had special powers of making wine and causing vines to grow. He could also transform himself into animals such as a bull or a lion. One of his special powers was the ability to drive mortals insane.