BACHUS, BACUS. Bacchus is a Lydian name for Dionysus, the Thracian fertility god. A son of Jupiter, he later became the god of wine. Jupiter visited Semele, princess of Thebes, at night, and when she became pregnant, she asked to see his face. As he showed himself in thunder and lightning, she caught afire; thereupon, Jupiter ripped the infant out of her womb and placed him in his thigh, where he remained until he reached maturity. Ovid calls Bacchus "son of the thunderbolt, twice born" (Met IV.9-17; OM IV.1-118).

Alys of Bath observes that after wine comes Venus, for a "likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl," WBP 464-466, echoing The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria) I.229-244. Petrus Berchorius says that ardor has a womanly face and the desires of women are born through wine in drunkenness (De formis figurisque deorum, fol. 9^ra. 37-38). Fulgentius says that lust is the third stage of intoxication (Mythologies II.xii). Bachus pours the wine at Januarie's marriage feast, MerchT 1722. He has no power over Virginia's mouth, PhysT 58-59. Bacus can make "ernest out of game," MancP 99-100. Bacus sits beside Venus in her temple, PF 275. Bachus gives gifts to Autumn, Bo I, Metr 6.15.7. In the first age, men did not know how to mix the gifts of Bachus with honey, Bo II, Metr 5. Troilus curses Bacus, Ceres, and Cipris, Tr V.204-210, the gods of wine, food, and love. Procne tells Tereus, king of Thrace, that he is going on a pilgrimage to the temple of Bacus, LGW 2373-2378; in reality, she goes into the woods to rescue her sister Philomela. [Ceres: Cipride: Venus]

Bacus, the ME, OF, and medieval Latin variant, occurs medially, PF 275 and LGW 2376, Bachus, a variant of classical Latin Bacchus, occurs initially, MerchT 1722 and PhysT 58, in the prose of the Boece, and medially, MancP 99 and Tr V.208.