Semele (SEM-uh-lee). Princess of Thebes, mother of Dionysus, referred to as a heroine by G.S. Kirk in The Nature of Greek Myths. Semele was possessed of a heroic thirst for knowledge. Warned by Zeus that it would be dangerous, she insisted that he reveal to her his true nature as god of sky and storm. The ensuing blast of lightning utterly consumed the heroine. Her son had to journey to the Underworld to retrieve her from the dead.