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Citation Information
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Quinn, Edward. "Apollonian and Dionysian." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 17 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=Gfflithem0052>.
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Apollonian and Dionysian

Definition 
Contrasting terms coined by the 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. For Nietzsche, the Apollonian (after the god Apollo) stands for order, rationality, and moral behavior, while the Dionysian (after Dionysus, the god of wine) represents the spontaneous, irrational, and amoral spirit of life. Nietzsche employs these terms in his The Birth of Tragedy (1872), in which he argues that Greek tragedy is essentially Dionysian, rooted in powerful and primitive emotions, and that the Apollonian element is a later accretion. This position directly contradicted the prevailing view of Nietzsche's time, but has been confirmed by later studies.

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