灶神和酒神

Hestia was goddess of the hearth （爐膛）. The eldest child by Cronus and Rhea.

Hestia was also the goddess of home and family. As a guardianl of homes，she was the first to build a house and hearth. However， she herself didn't have a family. She foiled² Apollo and Poseidon's overtures （主動表示） of love， and remained a virgin³ all her life. Zeus bestowed （把…贈與）upon her the honor of presiding⁴ over all sacrifices⁵.

Hestia wasoriginallyoneof thetwelvegreat Olympians，but she grew tired of the petty （瑣碎的）intrigues⁶ and wrangling （爭吵）that went on among the Olympians，and she gave up her position to Dionysus， the god of wine.

Dionysus was the god of wine and ecstasy（狂喜）. Son of Zeus and a mortal（凡人的） beauty Semele， the daughter of Thebes king Cadmus.Semele， tricked⁷ by jealous Hera. made Zeus reveal to her his true identity⁸; but her mortal frame couldn't endure the splendor（光輝） and glory of the immortal radiance⁹， she was consumed¹⁰ to ashes instantly，and her son Dionysus was born from the ashes. At birth he was snatched（奪走） away from the ashes of his dead mother and rearedn¹¹ by some kind-hearted mortals.

Being the son of a mortal， a humble¹² origin， Dionysushadtofighthiswayintothe Olympians.He invented wine，which was believed to be the essence¹³ for life， and bribed（收買） the other gods with it. Eventually， he succeeded Hestia as to be the youngest god of the twelve Olympians.

In art，Dionysus was represented as a mad drunkard（醉漢）， riding on a panther（豹）. His symbols were the grapes and the wine;his sacred fish was the dolphin（海豚）.

注釋：

1．guardian n．看守者，守衛者

2．foil vt．挫敗，陽撓，使受挫折

3．virgin n．處女，未婚女子

4．preside vi．主持，主管，掌管(at，over)

5．sacrifice n．祭品，供品，祭牲

6．intriguen．陰謀，詭計

7．trick vt．哄騙，欺詐

8．identityn．身份，本身

9．radiancen．明亮，光輝燦爛

10．consumevt．毀滅，燒毀

11.rear vt. 撫養，養育

12．humbleadj．地位（或身份）低下的，卑賤的

13．essencen．精髓，精華

赫斯提是爐灶女神，她是克羅諾斯和瑞亞的長女。

赫斯提也是家庭女神。作為家庭的守護者，她是第一個建造房屋和爐灶的神。然而女神本人并沒有家室，她拒絕了阿波羅和波塞冬的求愛，終生保持處女之身。宙斯把掌管一切祭品的殊榮賦予她。

赫斯提本是奧林匹斯山12神之一，但她厭倦了奧林匹斯山諸神之間的勾心斗角，遂把位置讓給了酒神狄俄尼索斯。

狄俄尼索斯是酒神兼癲狂之神。他是宙斯與底比斯王卡德摩斯的女兒；凡人美女塞默勒的兒子。塞默勒中了嫉妒成性的赫拉的詭計，使得宙斯在她面前現出原形。但她凡人的軀體體承受不住天神的光芒與輝煌；于是；她立刻被焚為灰燼，在灰燼中誕生了她的兒子狄俄尼索斯。狄俄尼索斯一出生就被好心的凡人從死去母親的灰燼中搶救出來，養大成人。

作為凡人的兒子，身世卑賤的狄俄尼索斯要躋身奧林匹斯山神的行列就要付出極大的努力。他發明了酒，一種生活中不可或缺的精華，并用它來籠絡眾神。最后，他終于繼赫斯提，成為奧林匹斯山12神中最年輕的一位神靈。

狄俄尼索斯的藝術形象是位騎著豹子的瘋瘋癲癲的醉漢。他的象征是葡萄和美酒，他的圣魚是海豚。