The ancients believed that it was the wine-god Bacchus—Dionysos to the Greeks—who introduced the fruit of the vine and its fermented juice to humans. Said to have been born twice, first from the womb of a mortal woman and later from the thigh of his father Zeus, Bacchus spent his early years traveling throughout the then-known world, sharing his gift to all who would accept him. But how could anyone believe such a story? Could there be any facts behind such a strange tale? An examination of ancient literature and modern archaeological science may provide us with the answer.