Not only was Dionysus an Athenian god, but he also had a special place in the festivals and myths of many other parts of Greece. One of the local myths associated Dionysus with Ariadne, whom was the daughter of the king Minor of Crete. According to this myth, after Theseus killed the Minotaur he fled to Crete, taking Ariadne with him so he could marry her in Athens. After this had happened Theseus had been forced to strand his ship on Naxos, and left Ariadne there, abandoning her while she slept. While she was asleep Dionysus had been spying on her, and as soon as she awoke Dionysus approached her, fell in love and made her his wife. Soon after, they had had two children Oenopion and Staphylus. This myth is said to be a symbol of fertility of the earth.

Another myth states that the God Dionysus was standing on the beach gazing out to sea, when the pirates of Tyre caught sight of him from afar and took him for a local princeling (a young prince). They abducted him in hope of getting a ransom from the king whom they supposed to be his father. Dionysus did not resist and boarded their vessel. Soon after the abduction the whole boat began to flood with wine, ivy grew up the masts and the sails were covered with vines with grapes, while flowers sprouted to garnish the oars. Then Dionysus transformed into a lion and devoured the chief pirate. The rest of the crew, threatened and scared by his new form, threw themselves in the ocean and where changed into dolphins. There was only one pirate who survived, because from the start he had been opposed to what the other pirates where planning to do.