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3.5 

Bacchae

By Euripides & Robin Robertson &
Bacchae by Euripides & Robin Robertson &  digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

A bold new translation of Euripides' shockingly modern classic work, from Forward Prize-winning poet Robin Robertson, with a new preface by bestselling and award-winning writer, critic, and translator Daniel Mendelsohn

Thebes has been rocked by the arrival of Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. Drawn by the god's power, the women of the city have rushed to worship him on the mountain, drinking and dancing with frenzied abandon.

Pentheus, the king of Thebes, is furious, denouncing this so-called god as a charlatan and an insurgent. But no mortal can deny a god, much less one as powerful and seductive as Dionysus, who will exact a terrible revenge on Pentheus, drawing the king to his own tragic destruction.

This stunning translation by award-winning poet Robin Robertson reinvigorates Euripides' masterpiece. Updating it for contemporary readers, he brings the ancient verse to fervid, brutal life, revealing a work of art as devastating and relevant today as it was in the fifth century BC.

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82 Reviews

3.5
“ouchy”
“This is a different translation from the first time I read this play, but it's still good. The Dionysus (aka Bacchus, aka Bromis) visits Thebes to plot the demise of his cousin and new ruler of Thebes, Pentheus, for slandering his existence as a god. How Pentheus meets his fate brings destruction of an entire family. Classic Greek Tragedy; one of my favorites from Euripides.”
“Dionysus, the diva you are. Love it!”

About Euripides

Euripides was a tragedian of classical Athens. He was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC to his mother, Cleito, and father, Mnesarchus, a retailer who lived in a village near Athens. He had two disastrous marriages, and both his wives—Melite and Choerine (the latter bearing him three sons)—were unfaithful. He became a recluse, making a home for himself in a cave on Salamis. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. He became, in the Hellenistic Age, a cornerstone of ancient literary education. The details of his death are uncertain.

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