InGreek mythology,Methe (/ˈmiːtiː/;Ancient Greek:Μέθη,romanized: Méthē,lit. 'drunkenness') is the spirit and personification of drunkenness. She entered the retinue ofDionysus and was mentioned in association with the god or other companions of his. Methe was the daughter of Dionysus in some accounts.[1]
TheAnacreontea[1] thus describes the mythological connections of Methe:
Let us be merry and drink wine and sing ofBacchus . . . thanks to him Methe (Drunkenness)was brought forth,theCharis (Grace)was born, Lype (Pain)takes rest and Ania (Trouble)goes to sleep.
Pausanias mentions a painting of Methe drinking wine in the temple ofAsclepius atEpidaurus,[2] and another one of her offering wine toSilenus in the temple of Silenus atElis.[3]
InNonnus'Dionysiaca, Methe appears as the wife ofStaphylus ofAssyria and mother by him ofBotrys. When Staphylus suddenly dies the next morning after a banquet in honor of Dionysus, the god makes Methe's name forever commemorated by naming the state of drunkenness after her, as well as makes Staphylus' and Botrys' names refer to grapes.[4] Later, Methe is mentioned as one of the followers of Dionysus on his Indian campaign.[5]
The Latin Ebrietas – female personification of drunkenness mentioned by Pliny[6] – may be seen as an equivalent to Methe.