The Maenads

The Greeks invented tragedy as a form of literature. Using narrative threads, it explores the human
condition and dives into the depths of character and emotion. Tragedy is inherently human in this
regard because it strives to reveal a universal truth about human existence. The ancient Greeks used
tragedy to investigate human nature and address societal issues.

Historically, the goal of tragedy is to elicit catharsis, or "pain [that] awakens pleasure," in the
audience. The Ancient Greeks believed that deeply studying one's own emotions led to better mental
stability. Similarly, evaluating one's emotions via theater leads to more emotional control in life.
Examining both happy and negative emotions leads to greater emotional maturity, which is an
important component of being a productive member of society.

Greek plays, like many other elements of ancient society, were focused on a presumed balance of
reason and emotion. Nonetheless, there are several occasions in which characters fail to figure things
out for themselves or act on their most basic impulses, resulting in catastrophic outcomes for
everyone around.

Grief and fury were also powerfully expressed in Greek works through excellent language and
spectacular action sequences. Whichever subject tragedy investigates, it does so clearly because of
its foundation in human nature: it is genuinely a product of a culture that values both reason and
emotion equally.

This genre was greatly respected in ancient times. The compositions' topics were usually tied to
mythology. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides are the most well-known playwrights. The third one
authored well-known plays like as the Trojan Women, Orestes, and Medea. Each of these plays has
rich language and intriguing characters. They also raise important issues related to their era.
Euripides took a step closer to addressing critical concerns that had troubled mankind for millennia
by examining complicated moral themes via the medium of theatre.

This well-known creator is regarded as the father of tragedy. His writings have been studied for
almost 2,500 years since he had such a tremendous impact on ancient Greek civilization.

"The Bacchae" was written by Euripides, one of the three great authors of classical Greek tragedy.
The artwork was initially shown posthumously in 405 BC, one year after his death, and is
acknowledged as one of his greatest works. Euripides was an underestimated artist in his day due to
the progressive ideas and largely human characters in his plays, but he has since become one of the
most popular playwrights of ancient history. Also, the gods in this genre preferred to appear as
natural forces. It was extremely rare for a writer to humanize a deity and make him the major
character, by doing so, Dionysus added complexity to "The Bacchae" and allowed him to direct the
storyline in a destructive manner, adding to the tragic events of history. He altered Greek theater by
writing his characters more realistically and putting them in physically and emotionally difficult
circumstances. He did this especially to women because he accentuated the feminine traits, elevating
them beyond males. By examining complicated moral ideas via the medium of theatre, Euripides
impacted later playwrights.
One of the most famous plays by Euripides is “The Bacchae”. Written about 405 BC, the play portrays
the story of Dionysus, who arrives at the start of the drama and announces that he has come to
Thebes to punish his aunts who accused him of not being Zeus' son. His mother was the mortal
Semele, daughter of Cadmus, and her lover was Zeus, according to legend. Hera was jealous of Zeus'
mistresses. When Semele became pregnant, the goddess convinced her to have Zeus reveal her
actual appearance. Semele had no idea who her lover was and first did not trust Hera. She
commanded Zeus to demonstrate his divinity. But, mortals can't see the actual forms of the gods,
and Semele was burnt. Zeus protected Dionysus' fetus by stitching it into his own thigh. Dionysus was
born a few months later.

The beginning of Euripides' narrative is Dionysus' vengeance on the Semele sisters, including Agave.
He also wanted revenge on Pentheus, who was trying to prevent the introduction of Dionysus
ceremonies. When they openly questioned both the authenticity of Semele's relationship with Zeus
and the deity of Dionysus, the god who came to Boeotia is accompanied by maenads from Phrygia.
The women of the city were driven mad and started to flee the city. The females – in other words
bacchantes (members of his cult) were brought to near Mount Cithaeron, and Dionysus himself,
incarnated as a bacchant, was their guide. As the god was insulted while being interrogated by the
intervening troops, he encouraged Pentheus to look at the behavior of the Bacchae, who were
dressed as women and accused of immorality. The king delivered to Cithaeron, taken by the
bacchantes for a lion cub, was torn to pieces alive by his own mother and sisters, who were
possessed by a supernatural frenzy:

“they rushed forth, swift as a dove, running with eager speed of feet, his mother Agave, and her
sisters, and all the Bacchae. […] His mother, as priestess, began the slaughter[…]she tore out his
shoulder[…] Ino began to work on the other side, [1130] tearing his flesh, while Autonoe and the
whole crowd of the Bacchae pressed on”.

The Maenad stories have been passed down for generations, and many of their stories remain a
mystery. What they all have in common is that these powerful women appear in them and were
famed for their extraordinary strength and endurance and execute seemingly impossible tasks. They
were claimed to be so powerful that they tear animals apart with their bare hands. Ancient stories
also tell of their bravery and determination in the face of adversity. The Maenads clearly possessed
incredible power and fury, inspiring awe in everyone who came into contact with them.

This term Maenads is derived from the verb maínomai - "be furious". It refers to a religious ceremony
in which participants jump around madly, ripping things apart. The maenads are Dionysus' female
followers who take part in these rituals: "Dionysus: On my women who worship me [...]".

They are one of the most essential characters in the drama. They were described as "old, young, and
still unmarried virgins," and they were always carrying a thyrsos. It was a wand wrapped in ivy vines
and vine-leaves and crowned with a pine cone. The thyrsos is a sign of prosperity, fertility, hedonism,
and pleasure in general, and is connected with Dionysus and Maenads. In the Bacchic dance, the
thyrsus was tossed:

“Pentheus: The thyrsus—in my right hand shall I hold it? Or thus am I more like a Bacchanal?

Dionysus: In thy right hand, and with thy right foot raise it"

With it, the Maenads could perform miracles:

“One took her thyrsos and struck it against a rock, [705] from which a dewy stream of water sprang
forth. Another let her thyrsos strike the ground, and there the god sent forth a fountain of wine. All
who desired the white drink scratched the earth with the tips of their fingers and obtained streams
of milk; [710] and a sweet flow of honey dripped from their ivy thyrsoi; so that, had you”.

With good reason, their look in the artwork was compared to animals. What is more, the majority of
them abandoned their children and began nursing newborn animals:

“First they let their hair loose over their shoulders, and secured their fawn-skins, as many of them as
had released the fastenings of their knots, girding the dappled hides with serpents licking their jaws.
And some, holding in their arms a gazelle or wild [700] wolf-pup, gave them white milk, as many as
had abandoned their new-born infants and had their breasts still swollen”

When Maenads awoke on the mountain in the morning, they untied their hair (which had been
bound for the night's rest) and fixed their fawn-skins for the day. For women, loose hair represents a
rejection of the regular household and social routine, and it was a clear ritual of liminality. Because of
their insanity, their actions are usually aggressive and destructive: “The holy Maenads, the women
who ran barefoot and crazy from the city”.

Worth noticing are snakes that occur in the Bacchae as attributes of the maenads, being in their hair
and licking their cheeks. Historical examples of maenads manipulating snakes appear in the case of
Olympiad, the mother of Alexander the Great. She provided large tame snakes for the thyiasoi
(religious groups), with the implication that this was not an earlier practice. Snakes often crept out of
ivy and mystical baskets and coiled around thyrsoi and women's garlands. They would have been
non-venomous snakes, similar to those seen in Asklepios' sanctuaries, but while the ladies had no
concerns with them, the men at the Macedonian court were "panic-stricken" by them.

In Bacchae there were two descriptions of how the women of Thebes behaved in the mountains:

“Therefore I have goaded the daughters of Cadmus from the house in frenzy, and they dwell in the
mountains, out of their wits; and I have compelled them to wear the outfit of my orgia. And all the
female offspring of Thebes, as many as are women, I have driven maddened from the house, and
they, mingled with the daughters of Cadmus, sit on roofless rocks beneath green pines.”

Later, a messenger narrates the situation before the women are outraged by Pentheus' presence:

“There was a little a little valley surrounded by precipices, irrigated with streams, shaded by pine
trees, where the maenads were sitting, their hands busy with delightful labours. Some of them were
crowning again the worn thyrsus, making it leafy with ivy, while some, like colts freed from the
painted yoke, were singing a Bacchic melody to one another.”

The book includes information on when the ceremonies are performed. When asked if Dionysos'
rituals are held at night or day, the god responds that most are held at night, because darkness is
sacred, prompting Pentheus to reply that darkness is deceptive and corrupt for women, clearly
echoing at least some men's fears and misgivings. The chorus also makes reference to night dancing.

Although Euripides may not have had the opportunity to see the real Bacchic ceremonies, which
were exclusive to women, none of these things appear improbable in real life. Additional references
in the play provide more information about what the women carried, such as fawn skins, ivy or oak
wreaths, and mentioned before thyrsoi.

They were mainly seen as negative characters. In this regard, they were comparable to other groups
of possessed women in the past, such as witches and shamans. Several cultures, for example, have
beliefs about malevolent female witches who could turn into animals. In addition to harming humans
directly, these dangerous creatures could also cause hurt indirectly by causing insanity on others
through their spells or powers of persuasion.

They are commonly referred to as savages because they rip apart anyone who opposes them. This
act is interpreted as depicting human wrath and animalistic conduct that humans undergo when
possessed by Dionysus or other gods. This is backed up by the following quotes: “dragged down by
countless young hands. The garment of flesh was torn apart faster than you could blink your royal
eyes “, and: “But she, foaming at the mouth and twisting her eyes all about, not thinking as she
ought”.

It's fascinating to see how our perceived moral standards may evolve over time due to societal
standards or cultural traditions, with no deliberate effort on our side. More investigation into how
mankind has historically coped with insanity can only help us better realize where we stand as people
in our connection with our own minds in general, in terms of both health and sanity.

The bacchic madness that gripped Euripides' Bacchae in ancient times is a source of significant
dispute. This play is about religious ceremonies in Dionysus' honor. Some believe the play's ultimate
purpose is to highlight Greek society's hypocrisy. In any event, the sad drama ends with a sense of
moral bankruptcy and doubt.

Several historians consider "The Bacchae" as a metaphor for human nature as dominated by
emotions such as fury or passion—concepts that depict human rage when controlled by ego or other
mental factors. Some scholars argue that humans have free will despite being influenced by things
outside of ourselves, such as religion or politics, based on their view of human nature being
influenced by something intangible.

This interpretation of the Maenads in The Bacchae is especially important today, as many people
battle to balance their emotions with the pressures of society, politics, and religion. We are all
influenced by outside factors and must determine how to channel our emotions effectively.
Euripides' work serves as a warning against letting our desires to rule us, as well as a lesson to seek
for balance as we traverse life's complications. As the Maenads teach, we must find healthy and
useful methods to express our emotions or risk being overtaken by them. Achieving this harmony is
critical for living a full and meaningful life.

The artwork acts as a warning to the viewer about the dangers of allowing untamed emotions to take
control. The Maenads, guided by the deity Dionysus, embark on a wild and uncontrolled rampage
that leads to catastrophe in this myth. Pentheus' mother, for example, tore him apart without
realizing it since she was insane.

The Maenads' actions in The Bacchae is an illustration of what occurs when we allow our passions to
run wild. The Maenads have allowed Dionysus' power to absorb them entirely, and as a result, they
are unable to perceive the consequences of their acts. They are so concentrated on the present
moment that they are unable to consider the future and the consequences of their actions. As a
result, their uncontrollable emotions create harm and death.

Women worshiped without the companionship of men in traditional maenadism, and there was no
male cult leader representing the deity. In "Bacchae" Pentheus accuses the ladies of both drunken
and sexual excesses, stating that the women are placing Aphrodite ahead of Dionysos and that the
stranger who he believes is imitating Dionysos is abusing the women. But, Dionysos and his maenads
are clothed and asexual, and Pentheus' messenger clears them of all allegations.
The artwork "The Bacchae" is the most extensive source of knowledge about Maenads. Yet, there are
historical proofs of their existence in real life:

1) According to a text found at Miletos on the tomb of Alcemonis, Dionysus' only "holy woman
priest," she led the Bacchae to the highlands and carried the cult's precious artifacts in
procession through the city: ““Bacchae of the City, says ‘Farewell, you holy priestess’. This is
what a good woman deserves. She led you to the mountain and carried all the sacred objects
and implements, marching in procession before the whole city. Should some strangers ask
for her name: Alcemonis, daughter of Rhodios, who knew her share of blessings”. Any
woman in this city who wanted to perform rituals to the god of wine, whether in the city,
countryside, or on the islands (near Miletos), might do so, but she had to pay the woman
priest a stater every two years for the privilege.
2) A third-century BC inscription from Magnesia on the Meander River in Asia Minor confirms
the presence of legally acknowledged thyiasoi that are remarkably comparable to the
maenads: ”Go to the holy plain of Thebes to fetch maenads from the race of Cadmian Ino.
They will bring you maenadic rites and noble customs and will establish troops of Bacchus in
your city”. The Magnesians' actions may have been motivated by their understanding of
Euripides' play, but the inscription shows that this type of religion was treated seriously
there.
3) A text from Physcus in Caria, southwest Anatolia, provides insight on Bacchic thyiasoi
organization in the second century AD. The inscription is a series of rules, with sanctions for
people who do not participate in cult activities. This concern for polite behavior appears to
contradict the concept of maenads as wild or uncontrollable, and it is unclear what these
maenads and shepherds performed, but it does demonstrate that travelling to the
mountains was still an essential part of their religious practice: “A maenad is not to attack or
abuse a maenad. Similarly a herdsmen is not to attack or abuse a herdsmen. But if someone
does this, they shall pay to the association for each utterance a fine of 4 drachmae. And for
anyone in town who does not attend a meeting, the same applies. Anyone who does not
assemble on the mountain owes a fine to the association of 5 drachmae”
4) Thyiasoi-related inscriptions indicate a variety of events, including as gatherings and meals,
as well as ceremonial processions that brought the members up the mountain. In the first
century BC, Diodorus Siculus particularly describes women assembling in Bacchic festivals
and engaged in ecstatic workship in honor of Dionysus every other year in various Greek
cities.
5) In the second century AD, Pausanias mentions a Dionysius shrine at Bryseae in Laconia,
Peloponnese, where the statue could only be observed by women because they alone
performed his sacred ceremonies.

Maenads are also quite popular in works of art. The Athenian sculptor Kallimachos sculpted maenad
reliefs on the choregos monument for Euripides' Bacchae, which were often copied in Roman art.
The maenads are seen tossing their heads, carrying thyrsoi and animal parts, and some wielding
daggers.

We can also see the Maenads in the red-figured vase artwork. There is a woman who has torn a deer
into pieces and dances in frenzied ecstasy, swinging the two parts in the air. She is clearly referred to
as "the insane one," as is the nature of maenads.
The multiple vase scenarios in which satyrs prepare to rape maenads are noteworthy. No one would
indicate a cultic reality for them, and they belonged to a distinct world from Euripides' Bacchae, and
linked to the function of Dionysos, a god of wine who causes sexual excitation. Also, no satyr is
shown to be successful in his task. These images may seem to fulfill masculine fantasies, but they
actually served to relieve men's anxieties: their wives and daughters will be sexually safe when
engaged in maenadic activities on mountains without the protection of husbands or relatives.

We can find similar to the maenads group of women in ancient Athens. In their rituals, thyiades
performed dances along the route to Parnassos. Several cities had visibly similar groups of women.
For example, during their maenadic wanderings in 355 BC, the Phokis' thyiades accidentally came by
night to Amphissa, which was allied with Thebes. Thebes and Phokis were at war. The women arrived
in the agora and quickly fell asleep. Amphissa's female people looked after them so they didn't get
hurt. As they awakened, they were brought to the border.

Another story regarding the Athenian thyiades were also at mount Parnassos. They were stuck in
high winds and a snowfall and needed to be rescued. Their mantles were so stiff from the cold that
when they opened up, they broke. Obviously, this was a rare and odd storm. The fact that the
thyiades were trapped in a snowstorm despite the fact that they regularly travelled to the top of the
mountain shows that they went there in spring, summer, or maybe autumn.

Agrionia hosted an unique event including the maenads. Women who had murdered Hippasos, their
son and nephew, were known as the oleiai, or "Murderesses" on Orchomenos. Every year, the
Dionysos priest chased them with a sword. He has the power to murder any of them he captures.
Plutarch claims that in his day, the priest Zoilos captured and executed one of the women. This
appears to be a rite in which there is a ritual pursuit, maybe related to myths. Zoilos went too far
since he was very eager and probably inexperienced at his profession. The oleiai were certainly
maenads, whether they were strictly of their ancestry, or whether all the women at the festival were
maenads with this as their general name, is uncertain.

Another example of a celebration was the Athenian festival of Brauronia, which was performed every
four years and involved pre-pubescent girls spending time in the shrine of Artemis at Braurin, in
eastern Attica. They were referred to as "bears," and their devotion to Artemis can be interpreted as
a wild era between youth and marriage. Women gathered for three days at the Thesmophoria in
Athens, sitting on the ground, living in tent camps, and making inappropriate jokes. Despite the fact
that the Thesmophoria was celebrated in the region where the women generally resided, rather than
in the wild, it nonetheless represented a temporary departure from the domestic environment.

To conclude, the maenads were members of Dionysus' retinue and took part in wild, euphoric feasts
that included animal sacrifice and music. Some historians think that the name 'maenads' originates
from the Greek word for 'mad'. They think the name comes from the maenads' wild and
uncontrollable behavior. The maenads danced brutally at their Dionysian rituals. During these violent
meetings, they supposedly inflicted severe injuries on themselves. This is comparable to how some
people self-harm when they are psychotic.

Because the primary intention of "The Bacchae" was to expose society's hypocrisy at a religious
festival, the play appears to provide a harsh indictment of modern society as well. Contemporary
civilization looks to have degraded into something close to Euripides' initial portrayal of Dionysus
who influenced society in classical Greece. Society has deteriorated into carnivals that amuse at the
expense of other people's pain. It remains to be seen how far this shedding of societal morals will go
before causing irreparable harm to those who participate.
While many say that Bacchae gives an unpleasant representation of current society, it is uncertain
whether this is the actual intent or not. In any case, the conclusion appears to be that, because no
community can stay virtuous forever, it is preferable to set boundaries that prevent carnivalism from
becoming a daily pleasure.

Bibliography:

Euripides, translated by Buckley T. A., “The Bacchae”, London, 1850

Hugh Bowden “Mystery Cults in the ancient world”, Thames&Hudson Ltd, London, 2010

Robert B. Palmer “Dionysus myth and cult”, Indiana University Press, London, 1965

Matthew Dillon “Girls and women in classical Greek religion”, Routledge, New York, 2002

Gold K.B., “Eukosmia in Euripides’ Bacchae”, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977

Dodds E. R., “Maenadism in the Bacchae”, Cambridge University Press, 1940

Damen M. L. and Richards R. A., “Sing of the Dionysus”, The John Hopkins University Press, 2012

Easterling, P. E., “The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy”, Cambridge, 1997