The Bacchae: Prologue

Dramatic Personae

Dionysus                     Servant

      Pentheus                     The Chorus

     Teiresias                     Messenger

                  Kadmos                       Second Messenger

Agave

Dionysus: I, Dionysus, son of Zeus, have come to the land of Thebes, I whom
Semele daughter of Kadmos bore, risen to life in lightning-born fire.
Having shifted shape from divine to mortal I am present now at the stream
of Dirce, the water of Ismenus. I behold the tomb of my lightning-struck
mother near the smoking ruins of the palace, I see the still-living flames of
Zeus’s fire – Hera’s immortal insult to my mother. I praise Kadmos, who
made this ground impassable, a shrine for his daughter, and I by vine have
covered this place with the green of clustered grapes. Having abandoned the gold-enriched lands of the Lydians and Phrygians, I have conquered the sun-streaked plains of the Persians and Baktria, the harsh-wintered land and fortress of the Medeans, and fortunate Arabia and all Asia, which lies by the salty sea filled pell-mell with Greeks and barbarians nestled together with their tall-towered cities. And now I have come first to this city of the Hellenes, having already danced and ordained my mysteries for those others, so that I might become manifest as god to mortals.
First of Hellene land I have caused Theban women to raise my cries, having set upon their bodies my fawn skin and placed in their hands my thyrsus, an ivy-entwined spear. Mother’s sisters, for whom it was least right, said that Dionysus was not born of Zeus, that Semele gave herself in love to some mortal but by the wile of Cadmus passed upon Zeus the guilt of her bedchamber, so that Zeus killed her – so the sisters swore – because Semele had lied about her lover. Thus I have driven these sisters out of their homes into madness, and they dwell upon the mountain frenzied of mind; I have compelled them to wear the attire of my orgies, and all the female seed of Kadmos, such women they were, I have driven from their homes. Together the daughters of Kadmos, mingled with all the women of Thebes, sit upon roofless rocks beneath green pines. For it was necessary for the City to learn, even if it does not wish to, being uninitiated into my Bakchic revelries, and on behalf of Semele my mother I must defend her by showing to mortals I am the god whom Semele bore to Zeus.

And now Kadmos gives honor and crown to Pentheus, born of his daughter. He wages war against me, thrusts me from his libations, and keeps no memory of me in his prayers – so to him and all Thebans I will reveal myself as truly a god. Then to another land, after this city is made right, I will set my steps and reveal myself. If the city of Thebes grows angry, from the mountain with weapons I will seek to lead the Bakchai, I will bring them together, leading my maenads into battle. So thus I have donned mortal form and twisted my shape to match the stature of man.

Now, oh women who deserted Tmolus, fortress of Lydia, my revelers, ladies whom from among the Barbarians I have nurtured, my companions at table, my fellow travelers, raise the drums native to your Phrygian city, invention of Mother Rhea and mine, come to the kingdom of Pentheus and round the homes resound so the city of Kadmos may see. I to the Bakchai go, to the glens of Cithaeron where they are – there I shall join the dances.