Lycurgus (also Lykurgos, Lykourgos) was a King of the Edoni in Thrace, and the father of Dryas. He banned the cult of Dionysus, the Thracian god of wine. When Lycurgus heard that Dionysus was in his kingdom, he imprisoned Dionysus' followers, the Maenads. Dionysus fled, taking refuge with Thetis the sea nymph. Dionysus then sent a drought to Thrace.
Going insane, Lycurgus mistook his son for a patch of ivy, which is holy to Dionysus, and killed him. An oracle then predicted that the land would stay dry and barren as long as Lycurgus was alive, so his people had him drawn and quartered. With Lycurgus dead, Dionysus lifted the curse. In an alternate version of the story, Zeus made Lycurgus blind as punishment for opposing the cult.
