The Bacchae.
The Beautiful Letters| N° d'inventaire | 32615 |
| Format | 13.5 x 21.6 |
| Détails | 260 p., paperback |
| Publication | Paris, 2025 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782251457161 |
Composed by the Greek poet Euripides in the late 5th century BC, the tragedy of the Bacchae depicts a power struggle between Dionysus, the god of life forces, and the king of Thebes, Pentheus. For some 1,400 lines, they seek each other out, never finding each other: they do not speak the same language; their goals differ greatly. But the struggle is unequal: Dionysus has divine omnipotence on his side; Pentheus's desires are so excessive that he ultimately dies.
Revisited, adapted, quoted, read, the tragedy of the Bacchae has endured through the ages. With all the suspense, sensuality, and cruelty it requires, it both disturbs and fascinates. We seek to clarify its gray areas, to elucidate its mysteries—even if it means imposing our own opinions and conceptions upon them. Reading and analyzing the Bacchae today requires clearing away the overlapping elements and interpretations left behind by centuries of editing and scholarship. It is also important not to forget that far from being an account of Dionysian rites, it is a theatrical text composed for the stage.
By highlighting Greek semantics and the orality of the text, this volume gives readers unprecedented access to the exciting world of the Bacchae, Dionysus, and Greek poetry. It is composed of three parts: a Greek text revised in light of manuscripts and previous editions; a French translation with a commentary and explanatory notes; and a semantic analysis in context that develops the vocabulary linked to the god and his worshippers by focusing on their various names.
Composed by the Greek poet Euripides in the late 5th century BC, the tragedy of the Bacchae depicts a power struggle between Dionysus, the god of life forces, and the king of Thebes, Pentheus. For some 1,400 lines, they seek each other out, never finding each other: they do not speak the same language; their goals differ greatly. But the struggle is unequal: Dionysus has divine omnipotence on his side; Pentheus's desires are so excessive that he ultimately dies.
Revisited, adapted, quoted, read, the tragedy of the Bacchae has endured through the ages. With all the suspense, sensuality, and cruelty it requires, it both disturbs and fascinates. We seek to clarify its gray areas, to elucidate its mysteries—even if it means imposing our own opinions and conceptions upon them. Reading and analyzing the Bacchae today requires clearing away the overlapping elements and interpretations left behind by centuries of editing and scholarship. It is also important not to forget that far from being an account of Dionysian rites, it is a theatrical text composed for the stage.
By highlighting Greek semantics and the orality of the text, this volume gives readers unprecedented access to the exciting world of the Bacchae, Dionysus, and Greek poetry. It is composed of three parts: a Greek text revised in light of manuscripts and previous editions; a French translation with a commentary and explanatory notes; and a semantic analysis in context that develops the vocabulary linked to the god and his worshippers by focusing on their various names.