Apollo and Dionysus: Battle of the Psyche
- Kylie Hughes
- Nov 1, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 18, 2024
All mythic paths lead back to the beginning, back to the swirling ocean of primal, cosmic energies. This is where you meet Apollo and Dionysus—not at Delphi, not through an oracle, but within the inner realm of the Self.
On the east coast of Greece lies the ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The ruins that exist today were constructed around 330 BCE, but the first temple was built as early as the 7th Century BCE. The sanctuary operated nearly continuously for more than a thousand years.
At its peak, Delphi was one of the most important religious centres in the ancient world, attracting thousands of visitors every year, all drawn to the famous Oracle of Delphi, a medium for the god Apollo. [1] [2]
It was said that that the Oracle, a priestess, channeled Apollo by entering a trancelike state—a consequence, possibly, of inhaling naturally occurring gases that rose from the mountain below the temple. We may never know the exact process, but we do know that the Oracle's counsel was widely sought and deeply valued by kings and commoners, alike.
So, who was this god Apollo? And why did the ancients prize his advice so dearly?
Rational Apollo
In ancient Greek theology, Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis, goddess of hunting and nature. Apollo has a mixed bag of talents—music, healing and archery among them—but he is best known as the divine personification of logic and reasoning.
Apollo symbolises harmony, restraint, order, balance, and higher-order intellect—the sorts of traits that set humans apart from other animals.
The ancient Greeks called him Apollo Phoebus—'Phoebus' meaning bright or radiant light. Apollo's light is the metaphorical light one shines on a problem or situation; the light of analysis or rational deduction. This is the light that pilgrims to Delphi so dearly prized.
But where there is light, there is shadow. The piercing light of reason can also be the brutal, burning light of judgement. Those familiar with Homer's 'Iliad,' will know that Apollo is responsible for guiding the poison arrow that struck Achilles in his unprotected ankle, Apollo's revenge for Achilles disrespecting one of his temples. [3]
Another story goes that a cheeky satyr (forest spirit) challenged Apollo to a musical competition. Winning was not enough for Apollo. He punished the hapless loser by flaying him alive and hanging his skin in a tree—a reminder for all about the consequences of arrogance. We can imagine, therefore, that Apollo's decrees were not only valued, but feared.
Irrational Dionysus
Although Delphi is primarily associated with Apollo, another god had a significant presence there—Dionysus. While both are sons of Zeus, Dionysus, the god of drunkenness, is almost diametrically opposed to his sober-as-a-judge half-brother.
Where Apollo represents thought and intellect, Dionysus represents emotion and instinct. Apollo is the order that keeps society intact, while Dionysus offers liberation from that very order by embracing the wild, chaotic, uninhibited, instinctual aspects of life. In psychological terms, Dionysus symbolises the primal libidinal energies that dwell in the unconscious psyche. He is the god of wine (physical intoxication) and ecstasy (spiritual intoxication).
But Dionysus is no passive hippie. Dare to deny him and he is equally capable of destruction. Whereas Apollo imposes his punitive authority like judge and jury, Dionysus drives his victims mad from the inside-out. His mode of action appears to be the liberation of repressed libidinal energies, which causes the victim to experience a schism with reality.
In the story of 'The Bacchae', king Pentheus is driven mad after refusing to acknowledge that Dionysus is a legitimate god. The denial leads to Pentheus' demise. Under Dionysus' intoxication, Pentheus dresses in women's clothes to spy on women performing the secret rites of Dionysus in the forest. Pentheus' own mother, also under the vengeful god's influence, is driven to frenzy. She murders Pentheus with her bear hands and proudly carries his head home in a sack.
Balancing Energies
The pairing of gods at oracular temples was not uncommon. Two deities often shared a sanctuary, representing complementary or, as in the case of Apollo and Dionysus, balancing characteristics. [4]
For the Greeks, cosmic balance was everything. They believed that an energetic "sweet spot" could be found in the tension between opposing forces—much like Taoists believe that yin and yang energies are opposing, yet complementary. This interplay of duality creates and holds together the whole. But when one element is allowed to dominate, disharmony and imbalance occurs. At either extreme, the system tumbles into dis-ease or, worst still, destruction.
The Greek system of gods is actually a sophisticated system of symbols that represent the complex energies of nature. The co-mingling of Apollo and Dionysus at Delphi, for example, can be interpreted as the symbolic interplay of their opposing, yet balancing energies. These two gods represent the timeless tussle between conformance and liberation, thinking and feeling, logic and emotion, intellect and instinct, and how it plays out in the world at large, including within our own psyches.
Going Within
If this interpretation feels a little deep, it might be because we view the past through a modern lens. There’s a tendency to attribute mental simplicity to people who lived a long time ago, as if they were less capable of complex thought or lacked the nuanced understanding we pride ourselves on today. But this perspective overlooks the sophistication of ancient cultures, particularly the ancient Greeks, who were responsible for advancing foundational concepts that still shape our world.
Ancient visitors to Delphi were reminded that their visit with the Oracle would not take them far unless they travelled an equal distance within. As if priming the visitor's experience, engraved in the forecourt façade of the Temple of Apollo, were the Delphic maxims, which included 'Know Thyself' ( gnōthi seauton) and 'Nothing in Excess' (mēdén ágan). [4]
'Know Thyself' reminds the seeker to cast the search light inward; to explore the dynamics of nature within oneself. If you understand yourself, you might just understand the universe. 'Nothing in Excess' has morphed into the modern aphorism 'All Things in Moderation', pointing to the importance of harmony and balance.
The ravages of time have not only rubbed out the medium, but also the message. The modern seeker instead turns outward. We turn, for example, to the internet for answers. Social media is today's oracle. Instead of taking a long journey, we are served instant information by algorithms that deal in fashion and fads. We are not guided to 'know thyself', but to compare ourselves—to look outward while being encouraged to excessiveness.
Writing in the 1880s, Friedrich Nietzsche called this phenomenon 'comparison culture,' a modern tendency towards following, conforming, and building our lives around material values. Modern emptiness comes from the inside, he argued, caused by an absence of meaning and mystery in our lives. The ancients engaged with life on its own terms, while we opt for comfort and conformity.
And yet...
Gods are Alive
If you feel a yearning; if your spirit is longing for awe and wonder; if you are in search of an inner adventure, or a way to craft deeper meaning out of your material life, the figurative path to Delphi is still there. Beneath the weeds of neglect and forgetfulness, the symbolic route to Delphi is preserved by the signposts of myth.
If you are willing to contemplate the mythic path—to wander in metaphorical forests—you will discover a narrative trail that leads back to the source; back to before. Before the rules of religion and the instructional manuals of education, past the filters of culture, and around the boundaries of social expectations. Back to innate, ineffable wisdom.
All mythic paths lead back to the beginning, back to the swirling ocean of primal, cosmic energies. This is where you bump into Apollo and Dionysus—not at the temple, not through an oracle, but within the inner realm of your Self. This is where the gods play. The mythic realm is the inner realm of the spirit, or psyche, or soul—or whatever you prefer to call the inner kernel of your being.
The imaginal technology of myth presents you with opportunities to develop a direct relationship with gods, fantastical beasts, monsters and heroes, or at least the energies they represent. You quickly start to recognise their traits in yourself, and in others, and in society at large.
You discover that enduring mythic images have not emerged from simplistic magical thinking. Rather, they are sophisticated symbols that represent the complex energies of nature, including your own nature. You start to 'know thyself' a little better.
Spend enough time exploring myth and those crazy characters eventually become like old friends. You sense the tension of their energies; their dramas playing out inside of you. You start to see that it is how we elect, or neglect, to balance their influence that manifests in who we are.
Culture is its magnification. This is why the ancients placed such importance on these stories and handed them down with care. "Myth is the model," as mythologist Joseph Campbell says. Mythic stories and symbols are signposts; maps to help us navigate the indefatigable forces of nature. These handed-down stories and symbols are models of how to work with nature sustainably and harmoniously.
How can I possibly suffer world-weariness now that I know myself differently? How can I be tired with life now that I experience myself not as simply alive (in the rational scientific sense), but as Life itself?
Dwelling inside me is Apollo and Dionysus, and the whole pantheon of god energies. I am not simply a bag of biology. I am that and more. I am the embodiment of the mysterious, wild, and creative forces of the cosmos!
And guess what? SO ARE YOU.
Shall we walk the mythic path together?
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The Delphic Oracle was also known as the 'Pythia,' which derives from the ancient Greek 'pytho.' The story goes that Delphi was originally a sacred place to Gaia, the Earth goddess, who appointed a serpent named Python to guard the site. Apollo, however, took a liking to the location, killed the serpent, and claimed the sanctuary as his own.
[2] The Oracle of Delphi's advice was renowned for being cryptic—often decipherable only after future events had taken place. Herodotus, for example, reports that Croesus, king of Lydia, sought Apollo's guidance on dealing with the expanding Persian Empire. The Orcacle provided a famously ambiguous response: "If you cross the Halys River, you will destroy a great empire." Indeed, Croesus did destroy an empire—his own! He lost the war and his kingdom. But powerful men and their ambitions were not the only topics of prophecy. Apollo's guidance was also sought on much more mundane and personal matters. The ruins of the Oracle of Zeus at Dodona, where seekers' questions were engraved on strips of lead (Dodona tablets), have yielded an interesting insight: the worries of humanity have not significantly changed in two-thousand years! Epilytos asks if he should stick with his current trade or try something new. Lysanias wonders whether Annyla is pregnant with his or another man's baby, and so on. You may enjoy reading more about the tablets and what they reveal about ancient Greek society here.
[3] There are numerous versions relating to the circumstances leading up to Achilles' death and Apollo's involvement.
[4] The idea of an energetic, balancing tension between Apollo and Dionysus occurred to me naturally over time through my reading of myth, so I was fascinated to discover that 'The Apollonian' and 'The Dionysian' are existing philosophical concepts popularised by Friedrich Nietzsche. You might like to read more about it here.
[5] There are numerous more Delphic Maxims.
ART SOURCES:
'Ruins of the ancient Temple of Apollo at Delphi' photograph: Wikimedia Commons
Kylix depicting Apollo (480-470 BCE): Wikimedia Commons
Kylix depicting Dionysus and Silenus (circa 480 BCE): Wikimedia Commons
Kylix depicting the Pythia and King Aegeus: Wikimedia Commons
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