Some Notes and Observations on the Tbilisi Hymn to Dionysus (P. Ross. Georg. 1.11)

The Tbilisi Hymn to Dionysus offers an unusual glimpse into Greek religion in the making. The text, written in the third century CE, is the first draft of a cult song, whose content indicates its clear connection to a mystery cult. Thus, it is tempting to call it a hieros logos of Dionysian initiation, a late cousin or offspring of the religious literature that flourished in Egypt under the rule of Ptolemy Philopator. This paper contains three notes regarding the mythical and theological content of the hymn, as well as its performative context.