The Bacchae

EURIPIDES THE BACCHAE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH RHYMING VERSE WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES BY G I L B E R T M U R R A Y - I904 - CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY, D o Psu T s H, E GOD s on ofZeus andofthe Thebanprincess Semelt. CADMUfSor, m erly King of Tkebes, father of Semelt. PENTHEUKS, i ng of Tkebes, son of Ecl fin, grandson of Cadmus. Acivk, daughter of Cadmus, mother of Pentheus. TEIRES a I n A ag S ed, Theban prophet. A SOLDIE O R F PENTHEUGSU ARD. Two MESSENGERS. A CHORU O S F INSPIRED DAMSELS. f, a IIowing Dionysus from the East. The play waJfir tproduceda fter the death of Euripides by his son, who bore the same name, together with tke Iphigenfa in Aulis and the Akmaeon, prodab4 in the year 405 B. c. THE BACCHAE The background represents the front ofthe Castle 4 PENTHEUS, King of Thebes. At one side is visible the sacred Tomb of Semelt, a little enclosure overgrown with wild vines, with a cleft in the rockyyoor of it from which there issues at times steam or smoke. The God DIONYSU i S s discovered done. DIONYSUS Behold, Gods Son is come unto this land Of Thebes, even I, Dionysus, whom the brand Of heavens hot splendour lit to life, when she Who bore me, Cadmus daughter Semele, Died here. So, changed in shape from God to man, I walk again by Dirces streams and scan Isn nussh ore. There by the castle side 1 see her place, the Tomb of the Lightnings Bride, 7 EURIPTDES 7-33 The wreck of smouldering chambers, and the great Faint wreaths of fire undying-as the hate Dies not, that Hera held for SemelC. Aye, Cadmus hath done well in purity He keeps this place apart, inviolate, His daughters sanctuary and I have set My green and clustered vines to robe it round. Far now behind me lies the golden groundOf Lydian and of Phrygian far away The wide hot plains where Persian sunbeams play, The Bactrian war-holds, and the storm-oppressed Clime of the Mede, and Araby the Blest, And Asia all, that by the salt sea lies In proud embattled cities, motley-wise Of Hellene and Barbarian interwrought And now I come to Hellas-having taught All the world else my dances and my rite Of mysteries, to show me in mens sight Manifest God. And first of Hellene lands I cry this Thebes to waken set her hands To clasp my wand, mine ivied javelin, And round her shoulders hang my wild fawn-skin. For they have scorned me whom it least beseemed, Semel s sisters mocked my birth, nor deemed That Dionysus sprang from Dian seed. My mother sinned, said they and in her need, With Cadmus plotting, cloaked her human shame With the dread name of Zeus for that the flame From heaven consumed her, seeing she lied to God. Thus must they vaunt and therefore hath my rod On them first fallen, and stung them forth wild-eyed From empty chambers the bare mountain side Is made their home, and all their hearts are flame. 8 34-59 T H E B A C C H A E Yea, I have bound upon the necks of them The harness of my rites. And with them all The seed of womankind from hut and hall Of Thebes, hath this my magic goaded out. And there, with the old Kings daughters, in a rout Confused, they make their dwelling-place between The roofless rocks and shadowy pine trees green...