female follower of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. The word maenad comes from the Greek maenades, meaning “mad” or “demented.” Dionysus was called Bacchus in Roman mythology. He was one of the twelve Olympians, and the circumstances of his birth differentiated him from his peers. Along with being the God of Wine, Dionysus was also the god of grape cultivation, winemaking, fertility, religious ecstasy, and theater.