Ever since I read this I have been insufferable and I love explaining it to unsuspecting people who slowly become more concerned about me

Dionysos bestraft die Menschen, weil sie ihn nicht als Gottheit anerkennen. Zur Strafe verfallen die Frauen in einen Wahn und flüchten in die Wildnis. Die Wut des Königs Pentheus ist groß und artet in einem Kampf zwischen den Geschlechtern. Die Tragödie ist unabdingbar. Die Reclam Ausgabe hat einen Teil der Tragödie nicht abgedruckt, weshalb ich eine andere Version zum Lesen empfehle.

I have been reading Anne Carson's translations of Greek tragedy. Bakkhai is a lesser-known drama, but deserves to be better known. It's theme is that it's not a terribly good idea to flout the divine, as Pentheus does. Dionysos in the beginning seems to be amenable to a wide range of behaviors, but Pentheus goads him until -- dressed as a woman -- he is murdered by his own mother in the presence of the Bakkhai (Bacchic women). As Anne Carson translates, Euripides at one point says:

To live and think and act within measure,
reverencing the gods,
this is a man's finest possession.

I've read this before, but I just had to experience it again. I'm sure we've all had some experience with lunacy, whether in our reading or in the soft whisper of our lives. When I bring this story in to my imagination and let it grow, it becomes so horrifying that I can barely stand it. It may not be as flashy as anything modern usually is, but deep down, it cannot help but disturb. Crazy mobs? Impiety? Drunken revelry or plentiful bounty or peace from mortal woes? Or is it truly the bald-face madness of which is written? Is there truly any difference? *shudder*

The unhinged things I would do to see this on stage

Teine lugemine 23.10.19. Vaadake mind libisemas mait kõivu gmaili ja uurimas, kas ta on nõus minu Bakhantide-teemalist bakatööd juhendama
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kõik teised tragöödiakirjanikud: tegelased ei tohi olla inimlikud ja muutliku meelega!!! jumalatest ei või rääkida inimlikus võtmes!!
euripides: *seen 405 BC*

i've thoroughly enjoyed carson's antigonick, but i felt like the modernization didn't add much here - the postmodern witticisms of antigonick are largely replaced with direct 'telling', and so everything just sits kind of uneasily together, and the truly great parts (trans pentheus) don't come across with nearly as much force as they ought to

This, dear friends, is a chilling reminder of why I seldom attend parties.

Anne Carson, te voy a seguir hasta el día que me muera

Euripides a freak

God, the writing in this is so good!
Dionysos' voice and the description of the women's ceremonies are just incredible.
Also, that cover is probably one of my favorite ever, what a choice.

Don't mess with Dionysus.



Again, the gods don't take slights well. To be fair, not having your mother acknowledged in her home town can irritate. Pentheus makes the classic mistake of discounting/refuting a god -- big mistake. So we have the hubris of the leader of Thebes leading to his ate (foolish act) resulting in nemesis, which to be fair is a kinda dark and disturbing. Not going to spoil it because it's too awesome, but if you have a familiarity with Orpheus you know where this is headed.

I guess the thing I found most fascinating were the parallels between Dionysus' evolving story line and later cults *cough* Christianity *cough*. Reading this has pushed forward my interest in digging into Orphism.

And don't mess with maenads.