Dionysus is the Greek god of theater and wine. According to legend Dionysus hails form Thrace, a northern, wilder part of Greece or from the east. In any case, the implication is that Dionysus comes form non-Greek lands. Typically, he carries a Thyrsus, a staff with an acorn at the end and is often accompanied by a jaguar. His festivals in ancient times were notorious for their drunkenness and wild ecstasies. The tragic and comedic festivals where poets like Aristophanes and Euripides staged their plays were originally religious festivals in honor of Dionysus. Because of this, Aristophanes' use of Dionysus as a character would have more impact that the usual use of a god in a play as a character.