The Bacchae | Litsy

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Strange, chilling, & brutal. Makes you think about what you're really doing when you think you're having a wild time 🙃 Makes me want to gather everyone in ancient society in a group hug because they were wrestling with the same demons as us—mental illness, the inscrutability of human actions, unexplained anguish & evil—& turning to the gods. This will be forever linked to Donna Tartt's The Secret History in my mind. Perfect for spooky October.

batsy I read the translation by William Arrowsmith. 2y

murfman @batsy It's a brilliant piece isn't it? It is easy to see how the Bacchic Mystery cult was so prolific, and why Dionysus was so popular for so long. He was a god of contradictions, and the most communicable to people, and so he was used in everything. 2y

murfman My preferred translation is the Gibbons & Segal, but Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Nobel Laureate, did one called “The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite“ that is phenomenal. He uses it as a vehicle to condemn colonialism, unfair labor and slavery. A must read. 2y

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murfman The scene at the end when Cadmus confronts Agave about her “successful hunt“ and her slow return of reason is one of my favorites in all of literature.

I'm talking too much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. 2y

batsy @murfman I wasn't aware of that Soyinka version, so thank you so much for the rec. I will definitely be on the hunt for that one. 2y

batsy @murfman Please don't apologise! I appreciate the chat :) I loved that scene of recognition, too. So haunting & uncompromising in how vivid it was. I also found the aspect of the disguised Dionysius telling the unsuspecting Pentheus that he takes "whatever form he wished; the choice was his, not mine" pretty chilling. A god talking in riddles as a man just is so ruthless in his revenge. But it also felt modern, like a psychological thriller. 2y

murfman @batsy totally agree! And that same scene where we see this “Jedi Mind Trick“ effect that Dionysus places on Pentheus. He goes from being abhorrently against everything that is Dionysus, to letting himself be dressed as a woman to witness the secret rites on the mountain. It also goes to further show that regardless of how approachable Dionysus was, he was still a God. And while easily approached was easily offended. 2y

batsy @murfman Yes! It goes back to your point about why he was so compelling as a god. The Dionysian Mysteries taps into the primal unconscious; I always find it endlessly fascinating. Euripides definitely makes you remember that there are the costs that come with worship, & I also find that an intriguing aspect of the classics. There was no attempt to erase that aspect of ancient religion. 2y

Graywacke Glad you enjoyed. I remember I found this the standout most powerful of Euripides plays that I read. 2y

batsy @Graywacke It's so good! The pace of it is really interesting to me, as well, the gradual unfolding of the horror. 2y

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DreesReads

The Bacchae of Euripides | Euripides

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#coursera week 8 read 2 Greek and Roman mythology. The edition I read (through my library and Overdrive) had no intro, no named translator, and NO NOTES 😱. So I struggled a bit. I have about an hour of lectures to watch, so I am sure it will be clearer in a day or 2. Meanwhile--watch out for what wine may do to you, and don't underestimate the gods!

Tsubame All your posts about coursera got me so curious that I finally took a look at it myself and promptly enrolled for the mythology course 🙈 Oh man and just when I felt like I actually wanted to read some lighter stuff 😆 8y

tpixie Just downloaded Coursea! Thx. Not certain that I have the time now to do something like that but hopefully sometime I can 8y

DreesReads @Tsubame @tpixie yay! This is my third coursera course in 4 years--all literature--and while they can be a lot of work and a little stress, I always learn a ton. And I don't buy the "certificate", so if life gets too busy, I can always try again. There are also group discussion boards that I have used before (with more modern stuff, for more of a book group type experience). This time I am all about the video lectures, I need them for this! 8y

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