The Bacchae Ancient Philosophy

Bacchus’ Birth Zeus loved Semele and had an affair with her unknown to Hera. Deceived by Hera, Zeus came to Semele in his divine form. Zeus came to her bridal chamber in a chariot, with lightnings and thunderings, and launched a thunderbolt. Semele is incinerateced

Bacchus’ Birth Zeus, snatching the sixth-month abortive child from the fire and sewed it in his thigh. At the proper time, Zeus undid the stitches and gave birth to Dionysus. The other daughters of Cadmus spread a report that Semele had bedded with a mortal man, and had falsely accused Zeus, and that therefore she had been blasted by thunder.

Bacchus Bacchus was thus half mortal and half divine. The rule was that only those who were full- blooded immortals could gain admittance to Mt. Olympus. Bacchus set himself the goal of making everyone worship him so that the gods would have to admit him to Mt. Olympus. He did and, thus, became the last god allowed onto Mt. Olympus.

Bacchus Ivy Bull Snakes Grapes and wine Feminine features

Cadmus The founder of Thebes Zeus, disguised as a bull, carried away Europa, Cadmus’ sister. Cadmus went looking for his sister, but the Oracle of Delphi told him to abandon the search. Instead he was to go forth until he met a cow. He was to follow this cow wherever it should lead and found a city upon the spot where it lay down. At that spot, he killed a dragon, offending Ares. Cadmus populated his new city by sowing dragon teeth, which sprouted into warriors that fought with one another until only five remained. Cadmus taught them the alphabet, which he had brought from Phoenicia

Cadmus He placated Ares and married Harmonia, one of Ares’ daughters. His daughters were Agave, Ino and Semele. Agave and Ino spread the rumor that Semele had intercourse with a mortal and blamed it on Zeus, which was why she was destroyed. Cadmus and Harmonia were turned into serpents.

Initial Scene Mixtures and contradictions –Divine mortal –Foreign native –Death (Semele) and eternity (ivy) –Moving from pure barbarian cities to mixed to pure Hellenic city –Move from edge of Hellenic world to the center of it –Nature (fawn skin) and artificial (city) –Unfamiliar family members

Divine Possession I have goaded them from the house in frenzy, and they dwell in the mountains, out of their wits; and I have compelled them to wear the outfit of my mysteries. [35] And all the female offspring of Thebes, as many as are women, I have driven maddened from the house, and they, mingled with the daughters of Kadmos, sit on roofless rocks beneath green pines.

Possession of Women Alienated and downtrodden Outside of the city-return to nature from the artificiality of civilization Refuse to perform the assigned jobs

Pentheus fights against the gods as far as I am concerned and drives me away from sacrifices, and in his prayers makes no mention of me, for which I will show him and all the Thebans that I was born a god.

Possession Ecstatic conversion experience –Dance –Drums –Flutes Rearrangement of the self with a new system of meaning –Produce of alienation and sense of meaninglessness Transcending a contaminated world through purity

Dervishes Dancing with the Divine

Origin Shamanistic experience of mediating group conflicts by traveling to a different level of reality Cultural revitalization movements –Religion –Great Cultural Revolution of China –Marxist movements of the 20 th century

Chorus-Purity Blessed is he who, being fortunate and knowing the rites of the gods, keeps his life pure and [75] has his soul initiated into the Bacchic revels, dancing in inspired frenzy over the mountains with holy purifications

Paradise Transcend to a better world “The plain flows with milk, it flows with wine, it flows with the nectar of bees”

Teiresias and Cadmus Both convert Old become young The only coverts in the city

Thyrsos

Pentheus Contrived Bacchic rites Bacchus is “a sorcerer, a conjuror” Engage in orgies-”to serve the beds of men, on the pretext that they are Maenads worshipping; [225] but they consider Aphrodite before Bacchus.” Excuse to get drunk Shows power –Arrested some –Will hunt others down –Will cut off Bacchus’ head –Will hang Bacchus

Pentheus Repressed desires of a hierarchical order Mad women –Are the sane insane, or the insane sane?

Teiresias Sensible person is not sensible “For two things, young man, [275] are first among men: the goddess Demeter--she is the earth, but call her whatever name you wish; she nourishes mortals with dry food; but he who came afterwards, the offspring of Semele, discovered a match to it, the liquid drink of the grape, and introduced it [280] to mortals. It releases wretched mortals from grief, whenever they are filled with the stream of the vine, and gives them sleep, a means of forgetting their daily troubles, nor is there another cure for hardships. He who is a god is poured out in offerings to the gods, [285] so that by his means men may have good things.” Do not mock the god

Cadmos “Even if, as you say, he is not a god, call him one; and tell a glorious falsehood, [335] so that Semele might seem to have borne a god, and honor might come to all our race.”

Pentheus Effeminate stranger Pollutes women Deserves death by stoning

Cadmus “O wretched man, how little you know what you are saying! You are mad now, and even before you were out of your wits.”

Bacchus Bacchus and his followers are captured –His followers were miraculously freed

Bacchus and Pentheus Bacchus –Accuses Pentheus of impiety and insanity Pentheus –Rituals at night –Will imprison Bacchus –Actually imprisons a bull

Bacchus Sends an earthquake to destroy Pentheus’ palace –Illusion of fire in palace –Jousted with the air

Messenger serpents licking their jaws wolf-pup, gave them white milk stream of water sprang forth. Another let her thyrsos strike the ground, and there the god sent forth a fountain of wine. All who desired the white drink scratched the earth with the tips of their fingers and obtained streams of milk; [710] and a sweet flow of honey dripped from their ivy thyrsoi; Torn cattle apart by their bare hands

Pentheus Plans to send army against the Bacchae Wants to see them in their drunkenness Lascivious—repressed sexuality Dresses as a woman –Overcomes shame

Bacchae First drive him out of his wits, send upon him a dizzying madness, since if he is of sound mind he will not consent to wear women's clothing, but driven out of his senses he will put it on. I want him to be a source of laughter to the Thebans, led through the city in [855] women's guise after making such terrible threats in the past.