The dithyramb was an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility; the term was also used as an epithet of the god. Plato, in The Laws, while discussing various kinds of music mentions "the birth of Dionysos, called, I think, the dithyramb."

What does dithyramb mean in English?

dithyramb \DITH-ih-ram\ noun. 1 : a usually short poem in an inspired wild irregular strain 2 : a statement or writing in an exalted or enthusiastic vein. Examples: She is working on a scholarly analysis of early Greek dithyrambs.

What is the meaning of Dionysus?

Dionysus (/daɪ.əˈnaɪsəs/; Greek: Διόνυσος) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, orchards and fruit, vegetation, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth.