Final answer:
Dionysus survived Semele's death, as his father Zeus saved him by sewing him into his thigh. The god Hermes is depicted caring for him in the sculpture by Praxiteles, and Dionysus' story is central to Greek religious and cultural practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dionysus, also known as Bacchus in Roman mythology, survived his mother Semele's death before he was born through the intervention of his father, Zeus. When Semele was tricked by Hera into asking Zeus to reveal himself in his true form as a god, she perished from the sight, being a mortal. However, Zeus saved the unborn Dionysus by sewing him into his thigh, allowing the pregnancy to come to term. The god Hermes plays a role in the later care of Dionysus, as depicted in the sculpture 'Hermes and the Infant Dionysus' by Praxiteles. In this sculpture, Hermes is shown teasing the infant god of wine with grapes.
This narrative of survival and care is indicative of Dionysus' importance in Greek mythology and highlights themes of rebirth and protection by the divine. As the god of wine, festivity, and ecstasy, Dionysus ultimately became a central figure in both Greek religion and its attendant cultural practices, including the Bacchic Mysteries and the Eleusinian Mysteries which celebrated the cyclical nature of life and death.