Dionysus, the god of wine and religious ecstasy, returns to his birthplace in Thebes to find his divinity denied by the local monarchy. King Pentheus refuses to acknowledge the new cult, viewing the rituals as a threat to social order. In retaliation, Dionysus drives the women of the city into a rhythmic frenzy on Mount Cithaeron. The conflict culminates when the god lures Pentheus into the woods to spy on the devotees. There, the King is dismembered by his own mother, Agave, who mistakenly perceives him as a mountain lion in her trance.
Students of classical philology and ancient history read this 1821 edition to study the collision between state authority and irrational religious impulse. The text provides a primary look at the structural conventions of Greek tragedy and the linguistic nuances of Attic drama. Readers finish the work with a precise understanding of the ancient conception of divine retribution and the consequences of neglecting the non-rational elements of human psychology within a civic framework.
Deep, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Literary Connoisseur. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1821
- Language
- EN
