Euripides: Bacchae

by Sophie Mills

This is an accessible introduction to the ancient tragedy of discuss the main themes of Euripides' Bacchae, and the central developments in modern criticism, whilst also addressing the play's historical context and the history of its performance and adaptation.

References to Dionysus in popular culture focus on the god as the incarnation of wild and decadent behaviour, by which humans are intrigued and appalled. The god as he is portrayed in Euripides' Bacchae is, however, more complex, paradoxically transcending straightforward notions of the Dionysiac. Euripides' Dionysus blurs the dividing line between many of the fundamental categories of ancient Greek life - male and female, Greek and barbarian, divine and human. This book explores his place in Athenian religion, what Euripides makes of him in the play, and the views of later writers and scholars.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Sophie Mills is Professor of Classics at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where she has taught for 25 years. She was educated at Oxford University and arrived at UNC Asheville in 1994. Since then, she has written four books and many articles on Greek literature (though briefly deviated into children's literature with her article "Pig in the Middle") but also spends significant time in the classroom, teaching everything from beginners' Latin to Greek Prose Composition. A particular interest of hers could be called applied Ancient Greek: creating with her students performance translations of tragedies geared to non-specialist audiences. So far we have versions of the Oresteia (abridged, 2012), Philoctetes (2014), Bacchae (2016), Medea (2017) and Antigone (2020), all available on request from her. When not teaching or writing, she is a home-brewer, second alto, and cat and pig lover. She lives with her spouse Amy Joy Lanou in Asheville, NC and welcomes correspondence (smills@unca.edu).

Reviews

[C. M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Makes you very glad this pagan darkness was purged from the world with the divine light of Christ.

Moral of the story: B*tches be crazy, and if you crossdress as a dude, you will be ripped apart by a witch cult in the woods.

[Paul Howlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoying this series especially this one

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mills writes with an open, nonjudgmental perspective that acknowledges all arguments. She had toys control and used it as a tool to expand on different parts of the play that allowed the reader to understand the play, characters and background. I've never read Bacchae and now I want to so badly. Her analysis is filled with knowledge, thoroughly supported with sources and quotations. Very detailed and I love how she ended with different recreated interpretations of Bacchae in modern culture.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to Euripides's Bakkhai.