Euripides' The BacchaeThis contemporary retelling of Euripides' The Bacchae-the last extant Greek tragedy-relates the classic myth of the god Dionysus wrecking vengeance on Thebes, the city of his birth and site of his mortal mother Semele's horrible death. Dionysus brings an army of women into the mountains surrounding the city and casts a spell over the city's own female population, leading them to abandon their husbands, sons, and fathers and to follow the god into the countryside and engage in his forbidden revels. Pentheus, king of Thebes, leads an army against the god, only to be defeated in battle and, as he secretly watches the revels, to be torn limb from limb by the frenzied Bacchae. Original illustrations silk-screened on handmade paper accompany the story. This unique handcrafted book will be a treasured addition to the libraries of those who love the arts of ancient Greece and the art of fine, contemporary bookmaking. |
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Common terms and phrases
Aphrodite Apollo's light arms Asian Autonoe baby Bacchants bacchic call Bacchus bird-gazer birth blood born bring Cadmus's cheeks child curls dance dark daughters dead grandson Dionysus Dionysus's divine eyes fair cities father fawn skin fear feast flock of Maenads god's gods Greece gripped guise hair hand hear heard hide hunt join king Cadmus King Pentheus land lord Maenads fell maidens marriage mock mortal mountain mountain lion mountainside old Cadmus old king old prophet once palace of Pentheus path to Cithaeron Pentheus's head Pentheus's palace Poor Pentheus praise prison punishment ride Semele Semele's tomb serpent shame shameless sight sing sisters slay sleep soft soul strange priest stranger swords and spears tale taste Teiresias Tell thyrsus trophy turn voice walk wand warlike watched Wearing a fawn wild things womb women words worship wrath young king Zeus Zeus's thigh