Bacchantes and Maenads were women who worshiped the Greek god Dionysus Dionysus is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth.Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking and wine, of fertility, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth.
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. "Roman mythology" may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to the subject matter as rep…
Full Answer
Who were the Bacchantes and maenads?
– British Museum Bacchantes and Maenads were women who worshiped the Greek god Dionysus, or Bacchus to the Romans. They were not only the female followers of this god, but they’re also the most important part of his retinue. They are also known as Bassarids, according to the Roman mythology, the god used to wear a bassarisk or fox skin.
What are the Maenads known as?
Maenads were known as Bassarids, Bacchae /ˈbækiː/ or Bacchantes /ˈbækənts, bəˈkænts, -ˈkɑːnts/ in Roman mythology after the penchant of the equivalent Roman god, Bacchus, to wear a bassaris or fox-skin.
Who is The Bacchae in Greek mythology?
Originator, protagonist and central axis of The Bacchae, this god of wine, theater and group ecstasy appears mostly in disguise as a beautiful, longhaired, wine-flushed Lydian, the Stranger.
Who are the main characters in the Bacchae?
Character List Dionysus - Originator, protagonist and central axis of The Bacchae, this god of wine, theater and group ecstasy appears mostly in disguise as a beautiful, longhaired, wine-flushed Lydian, the Stranger. Pentheus - Pentheus is the king of Thebes, son of Agaue, grandson of Cadmus and the first cousin of Dionysus.
Maenad Vs Bacchant
Maenads or mainades were women devoted to the god Bacchus (Dionysus, in Greek mythology). Their name originally meant “raving ones,” as they were believed to be possessed by the god. While also under the god’s influence, these women possessed supernatural abilities and strength.
The Maenads of Mythology
Bacchus was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Dionysus, and their mythologies were very often identical. The popular understanding of the maenads in both Greek and Roman mythology were thus also identical. The most extensive ancient description can be found in Euripides’ play entitled The Bacchae.
Rites and Rituals of The Maenad
The maenads conducted the ritual rending-apart of a sacrificial victim, known as the sparagmos rite, in various instances in their mythology. Some notable figures who have been ripped apart in this fashion by the attendants of Bacchus are Pentheus and Orpheus.
The Maenads of The Bacchanalia
Other cult practices of the maenads included ecstatic dancing and Bacchic revelry. The wild energy of these rituals was imbued in them by the god, who caused his worshippers to experience frenzy and mania. This ecstatic worship was accompanied by a cacophony of music and the wild yelling by the participants.
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By Danielle Mackay BA Classical Studies and Linguistics, MA Classical Studies Danielle is currently completing her MA in Classical Studies at Rhodes University in South Africa. She earned her BA degree in Classical Studies and Linguistics and completed her studies of the Ancient Greek language as well as Latin.
In Art
Maenads have been depicted in art history as erratic and frenzied women wrapped in a drunken rapture, the best-known example we can find in Euripides’ play The Bacchae, however this play cannot be considered as a study of Dionysus’ cult or as the effects of the religious hysteria of these women.
By Female Artists
In my research I only find few examples of bacchante/maenad by women artists. And they are very different from each other. This can be explained by the difficulties faced by women to dedicate themselves to historical painting, since they were not allowed to study anatomy or drawing from live models.
Published by natashamoura
Writer/Art Blogger and Cultural Manager interested in Museum Education. Dreamer of improbable dreams. View all posts by natashamoura
What is the Bacchae?
The Bacchae is considered to be not only one of Euripides's greatest tragedies , but also one of the greatest ever written, modern or ancient. The Bacchae is distinctive in that the chorus is integrated into the plot and the god is not a distant presence, but a character in the play, indeed, the protagonist.
Who wrote the Bacchae?
Thebes. The Bacchae ( / ˈbækiː /; Greek: Βάκχαι, Bakchai; also known as The Bacchantes / ˈbækənts, bəˈkænts, - ˈkɑːnts /) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon.
How many times was The Bacchae filmed?
Swedish director Ingmar Bergman directed The Bacchae three times: as an opera (1991) for the Royal Swedish Opera, as a film (1993) for Sveriges Television, and on stage (1996) for the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. These three versions received great acclaim amidst some mixed reviews.
When was the Bacchae written?
It was composed in 1913 and premiered in 1914. In Fall 2007, Prospect Theater Company put on The Rockae, a rock musical adaption of the show written by Peter Mills & Cara Reichel. In Summer 2009, the Public Theater (of New York City) produced a version of The Bacchae with music by Philip Glass.
When was Dionysos based on Bacchae?
On 20 April 2003 BBC Radio 3 premiered the radio play Dionysos – a ninety-minute drama based on The Bacchae – written by Andrew Rissik and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, with Paul Scofield as Cadmus and Diana Rigg as Agave. It was repeated on BBC Radio 7 in May 2008.
Where does the play Thebes begin?
The play begins before the palace at Thebes, with Dionysus telling the story of his birth and his reasons for visiting the city. Dionysus explains he is the son of a mortal woman, Semele, and a god, Zeus. Some in Thebes, he notes, don't believe this story.
Who wrote Bacchae of Euripides?
Wole Soyinka adapted the play as The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite with the British Royal National Theatre in London in 1973, incorporating a second chorus of slaves to mirror the civil unrest in his native Nigeria.
What is the challenge 1 of Bacchae?
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Animal Followers . Bacchae are often accompanied by wild animals. Beasts do not harm them and join them in any attacks against other creatures. The animals do not obey the commands of a bacchae but do not attack her unless magically forced to. Constant Rage.
What does a bacchae gain?
Unless calmed through magic, a bacchae gain the following benefits: advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, when she makes a melee weapon attack using Strength she gains a +2 bonus to the damage roll, a +3 bonus to armor class, ...
What caused women to go mad?
In some tales, worship of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus) caused women to go mad with insight; they would roam the hills, dancing, cavorting with animals, and indulging in excesses of wine and sex. These mad women became known as the Bacchae or Maenads, and were considered very dangerous by more civilized folk. The.
Who were the Maenads?
In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god’s retinue. Their name literally translates as “raving ones”. Maenads were known as Bassarids, Bacchae, or Bacchantes in Roman mythology after the penchant of the equivalent Roman god, Bacchus, to wear a bassaris or fox skin.
What did Maenad carry?
November 25, 2019 by MAMcIntosh. Maenad carrying a thyrsus and a leopard with a snake rolled up over her head. Tondo of an ancient Greek Attic white-ground kylix 490–480 BC from Vulci. Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich, Germany / Wikimedia Commons.
What is the theme of the frolicking of Maenads and Dionysus?
In ceramic art, the frolicking of Maenads and Dionysus is often a theme depicted on kraters, used to mix water and wine. These scenes show the maenads in their frenzy running in the forests, often tearing to pieces any animal they happen to come across. German philologist Walter Friedrich Otto writes:
What is the name of the goddess that danced with the Maenad?
[8] The term maenad has come to be associated with a wide variety of women, supernatural, mythological, and historical, [9] associated with the god Dionysus and his worship. Dancing maenad.
When did the Delphic Oracle send the Maenads?
In the third century BC , when an Asia Minor city wanted to create a maenadic cult of Dionysus, the Delphic Oracle bid them to send to Thebes for both instruction and three professional maenads, stating, “Go to the holy plain of Thebes so that you may get maenads who are from the family of Ino, daughter of Cadmus.
Who were the mad women in the mythology of Nysa?
These women were mythologized as the “mad women” who were nurses of Dionysus in Nysa. Lycurgus “chased the Nurses of the frenzied Dionysus through the holy hills of Nysa, and the sacred implements dropped to the ground from the hands of one and all, as the murderous Lycurgus struck them down with his ox-goad”. [3] .
Who are Dionysus' sisters?
In another myth, when his mother, Semele, is killed, the care of young Dionysus falls into the hands of his sisters, Ino, Agave, and Autonoe, who later are depicted as participating in the rites and taking a leadership role among the other maenads.
Where did the word "Maenad" come from?
The word maenad comes from the Greek maenades, meaning “mad” or “demented.”. During the orgiastic rites of Dionysus, maenads roamed the mountains and forests performing frenzied, ecstatic dances and were believed to be possessed by the god.
What was Dionysus's counterpart?
In Roman religion, Dionysus’s counterpart was Bacchus, and his female followers were called bacchantes.
Who is the god of wine in Bacchae?
Dionysus. Originator, protagonist and central axis of The Bacchae, this god of wine, theater and group ecstasy appears mostly in disguise as a beautiful, longhaired, wine-flushed Lydian, the Stranger.
Who is Pentheus in Thebes?
Pentheus is the king of Thebes , son of Agaue, grandson of Cadmus and the first cousin of Dionysus. Structurally Pentheus is Dionysus's foil, thus he is a preserver of law and order, a military man, a stern patriarch, and ultimately a doomed mortal.
Who is the mother of Pentheus?
Agaue. Mother of Pentheus and daughter of Cadmus. Agaue is already one of the maenads (a worshipper of Dionysus participating in orgiastic rites, from the Greek mainad to be mad) at the start of the play. Even though she only enters the play at the very end, her scene is the most powerful and tragic in the play.
Who is the only king of Thebes to declare allegiance to Dionysus?
Cadmus. Former king of Thebes, father of Agaue and Semele, grandfather of Pentheus and Dionysus. Cadmus is the only one in his family to declare allegiance to Dionysus.
What are the lines in the Bacchae?
The Bacchae: Lines 1 - 168 Summary & Analysis. The Bacchae: Lines 1 - 168. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bacchae, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Dionysus, Greek god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, and ecstasy, stands outside of the royal palace of Thebes.
Who impregnated Semele?
Semele was impregnated by Zeus, the king of the gods. Hera, Zeus ’ wife, was jealous of Semele’s relationship with Zeus and tricked Semele into asking Zeus to reveal himself in his true form—a lightning storm, which struck and killed Semele. Ancient Greek audiences would have been familiar with the backstories of the play’s main characters. ...
Why did Cadmus target Thebes?
They thought the story was just a ruse thought up by Cadmus because Semele had a scandalous affair with a mortal man.
What does Dionysus call his women?
Dionysus calls on his “women” to beat their drums at the palace doors, before leaving to join the dance of his Bacchae on Mount Cithaeron. This sets up the opposition between Dionysus, who values anarchy and chaos, and Pentheus, who tries to impose order on Thebes and its citizens.
What do the Theban women dress in?
They also recount the story of Dionysus’ birth. According to the chorus, if Theban women dress in ivy and wool, carry the thyrsus, and dance, they will be “freed from themselves, possessed by Dionysus!”.
Who is Semele in the play?
Semele was the daughter of Cadmus, the elderly Theban who has given over the rule of the kingdom to his grandson, and Dionysus ’ cousin, Pentheus.
What is the Greek god's relationship with Semele?
The Greek gods frequently interacted with mortals, and Dionysus’ visitation to the mortal world mirrors Zeus’ earlier appearance there as Semele’s lover. The gods are frequently deceptive, jealous and impulsive throughout the Greek myths. This gives the audience an understanding of Dionysus’ motive for revenge.
Who drives Agaue mad?
But Agaue, driven mad by Dionysus, proceeds to rip her son to death. At the palace the chorus is exultant and sings the praise of Dionysus. Agaue returns home with Pentheus's head in her hands. She is still deluded and boasts to all about the young lion she hunted and beheaded.
What does Cadmus say to Agaue?
Agaue begins to weep. Cadmus remarks that the god has punished the family rightly but excessively. In the end, Dionysus finally appears in his true form to the city. He banishes Agaue from Thebes and ordains that Cadmus and his wife will turn into snakes, destined to invade Greek lands with a horde of barbarians.
What did Dionysus do in the second exchange?
In their second exchange, Dionysus tries to persuade Pentheus to abandon his destructive path, but Pentheus does not relent. A cowherd arrives and describes his sighting of the maddened women of Cadmus. All the women were seen resting blissfully in the forest, feasting on milk, honey and wine that sprang from the ground.
Why did Semele arrive in town disguised as the stranger?
He arrives in town disguised as the stranger, accompanied by a band of bacchants, to punish the family for their treatment of his mother and their refusal to offer him sacrifices. During Dionysus's absence, Semele's father, Cadmus, had handed the kingdom over to his proud grandson Pentheus.
Who bends a fir tree?
Dionysus miraculously bends a tall fir tree, puts Pentheus on top, and gently straightens the tree. At once the maenads see him, and Dionysus orders them to attack the vulnerable ruler. With rolling eyes and frenzied cries the women attack, bringing Pentheus down and dragging him to the ground.
Overview
Plot
The play begins before the palace at Thebes, with Dionysus telling the story of his birth and his reasons for visiting the city. Dionysus explains he is the son of a mortal woman, Semele, and a god, Zeus. Some in Thebes, he notes, don't believe this story. In fact, Semele's sisters—Autonoe, Agave, and Ino—claim it is a lie intended to cover up the fact that Semele became pregnant by some mortal. Dionysus reveals that he has driven the women of the city mad, including his three …
Various interpretations
The Bacchae has been the subject of widely varying interpretations regarding what the play as a whole means, or even indeed whether there is a “moral” to the story.
The extraordinary beauty and passion of the poetic choral descriptions indicate that the author certainly knew what attracted those who followed Dionysus. The vivid gruesomeness of the punishment of Pentheus suggests that he could also understand those who were troubled by rel…
Background
The Dionysus in Euripides' tale is a young god, angry that his mortal family, the royal house of Cadmus, has denied him a place of honor as a deity. His mortal mother, Semele, was a mistress of Zeus; while pregnant she was killed by Hera, who was jealous of her husband's affair. When Semele died, her sisters said it was Zeus' will and accused her of lying; they also accused their father, Cadmus, of using Zeus as a coverup. Most of Semele's family refused to believe Dionysu…
Modern productions
• Joe Orton's play The Erpingham Camp (television broadcast 27 June 1966; opened at the Royal Court Theatre on 6 June 1967) relocates The Bacchae to a British holiday camp. An author's note states: "No attempt must be made to reproduce the various locales in a naturalistic manner. A small, permanent set of Erpingham's office is set on a high level. The rest of the stage is an unlocalised area. Changes of scene are suggested by lighting and banners after the manner of the Royal …
Significant quotations
Dionysus: "It's a wise man's part to practise a smooth-tempered self-control." Dionysus: "Your [Pentheus'] name points to calamity. It fits you well." (The name "Pentheus" derives from πένθος, pénthos, grief) Messenger: "Dionysus' powers are manifold; he gave to men the vine to cure their sorrows." Dionysus: "Can you, a mortal, measure your strength against a god?" Dionysus: “It hurts you to kick against the goad [pricks].”
Religious significance
Greek theater was a form of religious expression and worship. The Bacchae re-enacts how Dionysus had come to be a god. In ancient Greek theatre, "role-playing is a well-known feature of ritual liminality."
As an actor, religious worship is a direct experience. The actor would have experienced a "stepping out" of himself to become a representation of Dionysus. As a spectator, the experienc…
Dramatic structure
In the play's climactic plot construction, Dionysus the protagonist instigates the unfolding action by simultaneously emulating the play's author, costume designer, choreographer and artistic director. Helene P. Foley, writing of the importance of Dionysus as the central character and his effect on the play's structure, observes: "The poet uses the ritual crisis to explore simultaneously god, man, society, and his own tragic art. In this protodrama Dionysus, the god of the theatre, sta…