Dionysus

Dionysus is a recurring demon in the series, based on a Greek deity.

History
Dionysus is the ancient Greek god of wine, wine cups, wineskin, grapes, and fertility. The god who inspires ritual madness, joyful worship, and ecstasy, carnivals, celebration and a major figure of Greek mythology. He is included as one of the twelve Olympians in some lists. Dionysus is typical of the god of the ephiphany, "the god that comes." He was also known as Bacchus, the name adopted by the Romans and the frenzy he induces, bakkheia. In addition to winemaking, he is the patron deity of agriculture and the theater. Hailed as an Asiatic foreigner, he was thought to have had strong ties to the East and to Ethiopia in the South. He was also known as the Liberator, freeing one from one's normal self, by madness, ecstasy or wine. The divine mission of Dionysus was to mingle the music of the aulos and to bring an end to care and worry. Scholars have discussed Dionysus' relationship to the "cult of the souls" and his ability to preside over communication between the living and the dead.

In Greek mythology, Dionysus is made out to be a son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. He is described as being womanly or "man-womanish". The retinue of Dionysus was called the thiasus and was comprised chiefly of maenads and satyrs. Dionysus is a god of mystery religious rites. One of the most famous mystery religions was the Eleuinian Mysteries, in which Dionysus may have had a minor role. In the Thracian Mysteries, he wears the bassaris or fox-skin, symbolizing new life. His own rites, the Dionysian Mysteries practiced by maenads ad others, were the most secret of all. Many scholars believe that Dionysus is a syncretism of a local Greek nature deity and a more powerful god from Thrace or Phrygia such as Sabazios or Zalmoxis.

Design Interpretation
The garland and the pinecone thyrsus are Dionysus' traditional symbols. While the colorful pattern on his entire bodies can be interpreted in two ways. The first one is the which symbolizes the revelry of. The other thing that links to that body paint is the colorful patterns of all kinds of alcohol when magnified under the microscope. 

Appearances

 * Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: Fury Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei: IMAGINE: Destroyer God
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Zealot Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei if...: Majin Clan (Boss)
 * Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers: Kyoushin Clan
 * Persona 2: Innocent Sin: Suit of Cups as Bacchus
 * Persona 2: Eternal Punishment: Suit of Cups as Bacchus
 * Persona 3: Moon Arcana
 * Persona 3: FES: Moon Arcana

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Dionysus appears in Sector Bootes as an NPC who initiates the EX Mission, Death distilled. He asks the player to retrieve a feather from a Zhen to mix into a poisonous wine. Despite the wine's nature he claims that, as a god, he cannot be affected by such wine and desires a taste. After retrieving a Zhen feather, Dionysus remarks lamentably that he cannot share such wine with the protagonist and goes off to find a suitable meal to compliment the newly made wine.

This mission cannot actually be completed on an non-NG+ run if the player accepts it as soon as it appears as Zhen are level 32 demons that appear on Sector Dephinus 3F+.