Dionysius (Bacchus) & the Dionysius Crater - Versailles, France
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Metro2
N 48° 48.259 E 002° 06.922
31U E 435042 N 5406080
This sculpture is part of one of several elaborate fountains on the grounds of the Versailles Palace Gardens.
Waymark Code: WMCZY6
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 10/31/2011
Views: 15
In the center of this fountain is a sculpture which features Bacchus, the Roman God of the grape harvest (known as Dionysius by the Greeks). It depicts him gilded and distracted while about to take a drink. He's laying down with three satyrs who are apparently under the influence. There are bunches of grapes all over the sculpture.
This website (visit link) adds:
"Bacchus Fountain
Also called the Autumn fountain, it is the same size as the three other fountains dedicated to the seasons and near the Royal Walk. Bacchus, a figure of Roman mythology, teaches the cultivation of the vine throughout the world. The god of wine and drunkenness, he symbolises the harvest and is surrounded by small satyrs, half child and half goat."
Bacchus is known as Dionysius by the Greeks..and Wikipedia's article about him is under that name: (
visit link)
Wikipedia (
visit link) has this to say about the lunar crater:
"Dionysius is a lunar impact crater that lies on the western edge of the Mare Tranquillitatis. To the southeast is the crater pair of Ritter and Sabine. Just to the northwest is the system of rilles designated Rimae Ritter. These clefts follow a generally northwest direction.
The rim of Dionysius is generally circular and shows little sign of wear. The crater possesses a small ray system with a radius of over 130 kilometers. The formation has a high albedo and appears bright when the Sun is nearly overhead during a full Moon. It is surrounded by a bright halo, with darker material farther out. Some darker deposits are in the form of relatively rare dark rays."