The Zagreus from the Euripides fragment is suggestive of Dionysus, the wine god son of Zeus and Semele,Gantz, p, 118; West 1983, p. 154. and in fact, although it seems not to occur anywhere in Orphic sources, the name “Zagreus” is elsewhere identified with an Orphic Dionysus, who had a very different tradition from the standard one.According to Gantz, p. 118, "Orphic sources preserved seem not to use the name 'Zagreus, and according to West 1983, p. 153, the "name was probably not used in the Orphic narrative". Edmonds 1999, p. 37 n. 6 says: "Lobeck 1892 seems to be responsible for the use of the name Zagreus for the Orphic Dionysos. As Linforth noticed, 'It is a curious thing that the name Zagreus does not appear in any Orphic poem or fragment, nor is it used by any author who refers to Orpheus' (Linforth 1941:311). In his reconstruction of the story, however, Lobeck made extensive use of the fifth-century CE epic of Nonnos, who does use the name Zagreus, and later scholars followed his cue. The association of Dionysos with Zagreus appears first explicitly in a fragment of Callimachus preserved in the Etymologicum Magnum (fr. 43.117 P), with a possible earlier precedent in the fragment from Euripides Cretans (fr. 472 Nauck). Earlier evidence, however, (e.g., Alkmaionis fr. 3 PEG; Aeschylus frr. 5, 228) suggests that Zagreus was often identified with other deities." This Dionysus Zagreus was a son of Zeus and Persephone who was, as an infant, attacked and dismembered by the Titans,Linforth, pp. 310–311. but later reborn as the son of Zeus and Semele.Meisner, pp. 267–268; Diodorus Siculus, 3.64.1, 4.4.1, 5.75.4 [= Orphic fr. 283 I Bernabé (I p. 235) = fr. 303 Kern]; Hyginus, Fabulae 167; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.562–70, 6.155–231. This dismemberment of Dionysus Zagreus (the sparagmos), taken together with an assumed Orphic anthropogony, in which human beings arose from the ashes of the Titans (who had been struck by Zeus with his thunderbolt in punishment for the dismembering), is sometimes called the "Zagreus myth".Meisner, p. 238; Chrysanthou, p. 85; Edmonds 2013, p. 297. This story has often been considered the most important myth of Orphism,According to Meisner, p. 238, "[o]ver the last two centuries, many scholars have considered this narrative of Dionysus and the Titans to have been the central, defining myth of Orphism". For example, in the first half of the 20th century, Nilsson, p. 202 described it as "the cardinal myth of Orphism", and Guthrie, p. 107 similarly called the myth "the central point of Orphic story", while Linforth, p. 307 said it is "commonly regarded as essentially and peculiarly Orphic and the very core of the Orphic religion". More recently, Parker 2002, p. 495 writes that "it has been seen as the Orphic 'arch-myth'", while, according to Meisner, p. 9, Edmonds "argues that the myth of Dionysus Zagreus was not nearly as central to Orphic thought as modern scholars have assumed". and has been described as "one of the most enigmatic and intriguing of all Greek myths".Henrichs, p. 61.
The Zagreus from the Euripides fragment is suggestive of Dionysus the wine god son of Zeus and SemeleGantz p 118; West 1983 p 154 and in fact although it seems not to occur anywhere in Orphic sources the name “Zagreus” is elsewhere identified with an Orphic Dionysus who had a very different tradition from the standard oneAccording to Gantz p 118 "Orphic sources preserved seem not to use the name 'Zagreus and according to West 1983 p 153 the "name was probably not used in the Orphic narrative" Edmonds 1999 p 37 n 6 says "Lobeck 1892 seems to be responsible for the use of the name Zagreus for the Orphic Dionysos As Linforth noticed 'It is a curious thing that the name Zagreus does not appear in any Orphic poem or fragment nor is it used by any author who refers to Orpheus' (Linforth 1941311) In his reconstruction of the story however Lobeck made extensive use of the fifth-century CE epic of Nonnos who does use the name Zagreus and later scholars followed his cue The association of Dionysos with Zagreus appears first explicitly in a fragment of Callimachus preserved in the Etymologicum Magnum (fr 43117 P) with a possible earlier precedent in the fragment from Euripides Cretans (fr 472 Nauck) Earlier evidence however (eg Alkmaionis fr 3 PEG; Aeschylus frr 5 228) suggests that Zagreus was often identified with other deities" This Dionysus Zagreus was a son of Zeus and Persephone who was as an infant attacked and dismembered by the TitansLinforth pp 310–311 but later reborn as the son of Zeus and SemeleMeisner pp 267–268; Diodorus Siculus 3641 441 5754 [= Orphic fr 283 I Bernabé (I p 235) = fr 303 Kern]; Hyginus Fabulae 167; Nonnus Dionysiaca 5562–70 6155–231 This dismemberment of Dionysus Zagreus (the sparagmos) taken together with an assumed Orphic anthropogony in which human beings arose from the ashes of the Titans (who had been struck by Zeus with his thunderbolt in punishment for the dismembering) is sometimes called the "Zagreus myth"Meisner p 238; Chrysanthou p 85; Edmonds 2013 p 297 This story has often been considered the most important myth of OrphismAccording to Meisner p 238 "[o]ver the last two centuries many scholars have considered this narrative of Dionysus and the Titans to have been the central defining myth of Orphism" For example in the first half of the 20th century Nilsson p 202 described it as "the cardinal myth of Orphism" and Guthrie p 107 similarly called the myth "the central point of Orphic story" while Linforth p 307 said it is "commonly regarded as essentially and peculiarly Orphic and the very core of the Orphic religion" More recently Parker 2002 p 495 writes that "it has been seen as the Orphic 'arch-myth'" while according to Meisner p 9 Edmonds "argues that the myth of Dionysus Zagreus was not nearly as central to Orphic thought as modern scholars have assumed" and has been described as "one of the most enigmatic and intriguing of all Greek myths"Henrichs p 61