Bacchae
Euripides' final tragedy depicting the arrival of Dionysus in Thebes and the destruction of those who deny his divinity
The Meaning of Bacchae
The Bacchae, composed shortly before Euripides' death around 406 BCE and performed posthumously, tells of Dionysus's return to Thebes, the city of his mortal mother Semele. Disguised as a mortal priest of his own cult, Dionysus has driven the women of Thebes into ecstatic frenzy on Mount Cithaeron, where they roam as his Bacchants. King Pentheus, Dionysus's cousin, refuses to acknowledge the god's divinity and attempts to imprison him and suppress his worship. Dionysus effortlessly escapes and lures Pentheus into dressing as a woman to spy on the Bacchants. On the mountain, the frenzied women — led by Pentheus's own mother Agave — tear the king apart with their bare hands, believing him to be a lion. Agave returns to the city carrying her son's head in triumph before the madness lifts and she recognises what she has done. The play explores the terrifying power of the irrational and the catastrophe that follows when mortals resist forces beyond their control.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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