Dionysus in Plato: Presence and Absence of the Mask God

In this paper we put forward an approach to the philosophical use of the Greek god Dionysus in Plato's work, with particular reference to the platonic pedagogical-political thought in the Republic and, above all, in the Laws. Previous studies that have addressed this issue, including the latest two dealing with the Laws and the philosophical aspects of Dionysus are briefly discussed while presenting a new reading of the presence and absence of Dionysus in Plato through three dimensions -the symposium, the mysteries and education-oriented poetry- converging on the reformist political purpose of the Athenian philosopher.