Personal character of Euripides. Legends about the death of Euripides

Bacchae

Translation by Innokenty Annensky

CHARACTERS

Dionysus (II) Servant (III)

Choir of Bacchantes, Lydian women Herald-Shepherd (III)

Tiresias, blind old man, soothsayer (II) Messenger-Servant (III)

Cadmus, former king Theban (III) Agave, daughter of Cadmus, mother

Pentheus, youth, grandson of Cadmus, new king of Pentheus (I)

Theban (I)

The action takes place in Kadmeia, a Theban fortress, north of Thebes, in front of the palace of Cadmus. The facade of the palace is in the Dorian style, with columns and triglyphs. The middle door acts as the main gate leading into the room. At the right periakta (scenes) there is a heap of wooden fragments, fenced and entwined with greenery

grapes At the beginning of the play, Dionysus enters the stage from the left in the form of a worshiper of Bacchus: in addition to his long, motley chiton, reaching to the very heels, he has a saffron-colored cape, which is pulled together by a wide motley belt; on the cape hangs from the shoulders a nebrid - a deer skin; from the head, from under a soft miter and a plush wreath, delicate, light-golden hair falls in luxurious curls onto the shoulders, covering the ears and part of the cheeks. a pampered handsome man with an effeminate face; the cheeks are white, with a thick blush (the eyes are glazed); V

in his right hand is a thyrsus, a stick the size of a man, entwined with ivy.

The son of Zeus, Dionysus, I am with the Thebans.

Here once was Semele, daughter of Cadmus,

She brought me into the world untimely,

She was struck by the fire of Zeus' thunderstorm.

From a god to a human appearance,

I approach the streams of my native rivers.

(He sees debris covered with grapes.)

Here is my mother's burned memory

There are ruins of a house near the palace

They still smoke, they still live in them

Heavenly fire, proud Hera

Unquenchable anger towards my mother...

10 How good it is that you made him unapproachable

Cadmus's daughters sanctuary; his

From all sides I hid the grapes

Wrapped with tassels of delicate greenery.

I left the rich Lydia plain

And Phrygia and Persia fields,

Burnt by the midday rays,

And the walls of Bactria and the Medes

Having experienced the winter cold, I am the Arabs

I visited and walked around the happy ones

All of Asia, along the sea coast

Salty prostrated: in the cities

The wall towers rise beautifully,

And there the Greek and the barbarian live together.

I introduced holidays and dances in Asia

And from people, like God, he is respected everywhere.

20 Here I trample the soil of Greece for the first time.

From the cities of Hellas before everyone else

I will fill you, Thebes, with rejoicing,

I'll throw the non-brids on my shoulders and, in return,

Spears, I will give you a thyrsus entwined with ivy:

Mother's sisters are here - who would have expected?

They didn’t recognize me as Zeus’ son,

And they claimed that, having sinned

With a mortal, mother Zeus attributed

30 His feminine sin, which he cleverly composed

That fable of Cadmus, and as if Zeus Semele

He killed for a daringly fictitious marriage.

I declared them out of their houses with rage

Made me run away, losing my mind

They have now gone to Quisreron

In bacchanalian garb, with a thirst for orgies

In the chest, and how much there is in Thebes

To the women's people, everyone with them

I forced them to leave the hearths.

And under the tents of fir trees, at random,

Homeless people sleep on bare rocks.

Yes, city, you will feel now,

40 That until now he shunned the orgies of Bacchus.

Semele's mother I protect the memory

I am a powerful god, the son of Zeus.

Cadmus gave honor and power to the king here

Pentheus, son of Agave's daughter.

He is a God-fighter and I have never

He did not offer a libation in prayer either.

Doesn't want to mention it. Let the king

And the other Thebans will be convinced

That I am definitely God. Here's how I'll teach you

To serve myself, I will go to other lands.

50 And if the Thebans advance with an army,

To return women from Kiferon,

My maenads will start a fight with them.

So that’s why, having changed my appearance,

From a god I became seemingly a man.

(Addressing the choir, which had just performed at Fimela.)

And you, who left Tmol with me,

You, Lydia's pets, friends

On the way and in the parking lot, you, tympanum

Raising the Phrygian above his head,

A gift from Rhea-mother and mine,

60 Crowd around the palace of Pentheus:

Let the loud beats gather

The Thebans come here. I'm on Kiferon

I’ll go now to my new bacchantes,

And I will weave into light round dances.

when pronouncing the 63rd line, it passes along the paraskenia, descends to the fimela (a platform in the orchestra, slightly below the stage) and is located on the left side of the audience, in a quadrangle of five in a row; the middle one in the first row is the luminary. The flutist (more precisely, the clarinetist) precedes the choir and remains with them on the fiddle throughout the play. The choir consists of 15 Lydian women: they are in long robes, barefoot, with unbridled shoulders, their heads covered with ivy or yew; in the hands of long thyrses in ivy or light short staves; in others, instead of a thyrsus, in the hands

tympanum (a kind of tambourine). At the end of the prologue, Dionysus goes to the right. The choir sings in unison. The first eight lines are performed by one luminary. Mimic movements, and perhaps dance movements, accompany this opening song.

Stanza I Lands of Asia, where are you?

Tmol sacred, you are abandoned! Sweet is my work.

I lift Bromius to the glory of languor,

To the god Bacchus I cry: Evoe!

Antistrophe I Get out of the way, out of the way!

Hide in your houses and speak reverently

70 Let them close together: I will sing Dionysus,

How I praise him everywhere and always.

Stanza II Oh, how happy you are, mortal,

If, in peace with the gods,

You will know their mysteries,

If, rejoicing on heights,

Bacchus of pure delights

You will fill a timid soul.

Happy if you are involved

Orgy of Mother Cybele;

80 If, shaking the thyrsus,

Ivy is crowned with greenery,

In the world you serve Dionysus.

Go, Bacchantes, go!

You, God and God's son,

Bring Dionysus home!

From the Phrygian mountains to the Hellas mountains

Take Bacchus home.

Antistrophe II Zeus thundered

The pangs of childbirth have arrived:

90 Without informing, she vomited

Bromia mother from the womb

And under the lightning strike

She ended her life untimely.

But he accepted the ejected

Zeus immediately into his bosom

And, melting from Hera's son,

He has it at the hip skillfully

Gold pinned with a buckle:

When the time had come for him,

100 He gave birth to a horned god,

He made a wreath for him from a snake:

Since then, this animal food

The maenad wraps around her brow.

Stanza III You, cradle of Semele,

Thebes, be crowned with ivy!

Dress yourself in delicate foliage,

Purple yew berries!

Bacchus is fulfilled, city

110 With the greenery of oak and spruce!

And white-fleeced tassels

Euripides Bacchae

Bacchae

Translation by F. F. Zelinsky

The action takes place on the square in front of the royal palace in the Theban Kremlin. The façade of the palace is seen at an oblique angle on the left side of the stage; it consists of a central colonnade, in the middle of which is a large gate leading into the courtyard, and a projecting extension on the left side, in which it is believed that Agave's tower is to be housed. The annex that once corresponded to it on the right side is a pile of ruins surrounded by a fence; the stones are overgrown with greenery, but at intervals one can see the crimson flames of smoldering beams, from which thick clouds of smoke rise; this is the former tower of Semele. Above it there is a view of the plain of Ismene; strict contours are visible in the distance

to the spectators.

all extraneous antistrophes are removed again.

Having come from the Asian land, having left Saint Tmolus, we bear a pleasant burden in honor of the god Bromius, we serve a sweet service, proclaiming Bacchus.

Antistrophe 1.

Antistrophe 2.

Antistrophe 3.

The song stops; the bacchantes peer with anxious anticipation at those present, inviting them to join them; they stand in confusion or move away; no one follows their call. Then they, sadly hanging their heads, head to the right edge of the stage, where they are located in groups around their

luminaries.

FIRST ACTION

FIRST SCENE

On the left side of the stage, the blind Tiresias appears with a thyrsus in his hand, a wreath on his head and a nebride over the net cape that he wears as a soothsayer. All his movements breathe inspiration; Despite his blindness, he goes straight to the palace colonnade and stops opposite the gate.

Who's at the door? Summon from the palace Cadmus, Agenor's son, who left the city of Sidon and built the stronghold of Thebes here. Quickly tell him that Tiresias is looking for him. (One of the guards goes into the palace; Tiresias continues his speech, addressing the choir.) He already knows himself why I am coming and what we agreed on - I, the old man, with him, who is even older than me: about entwining thyrsus with greenery, put on nebrids and crown your head with an ivy branch.

During last words Tiresias Cadmus leaves the palace. He is dressed (except for the net cape) the same as Tiresias, but of the inspiration that

fills all the words and movements of Tiresias, he is not in it.

Here I am, my friend! in the palace I heard your words - the wise words of a wise man - and willingly came out to you in the vestment that God showed us. He is my daughter's son; it is necessary that he, as far as is in our power, be exalted by us. Where should we dance in circles, where should we perform with measured steps, throwing back our gray heads? Be my teacher, Tiresias, old man to old man: you are wise. And I have enough strength to tirelessly knock the thyrsus on the ground day and night; in my joy I forgot about my years.

The same thing happens to me: I feel young and try to dance.

Well, shall we get into the carriage and go to the mountains?

Tiresias (shaking his head with a grin)

No; This would not honor God enough.

Do you want me to be your guide, old man to old man?

God himself will lead you and me there, and we will not get tired.

Cadmus (looking around restlessly)

But will we alone dance in honor of Bacchus?

Yes; We alone are prudent, the rest are not.

Cadmus (encouraged by the words of Tiresias, eagerly holding out his hand to him)

Let us not hesitate; here is my hand.

Here's mine; take it and combine it with yours.

I know that I am mortal, and I humble myself before the gods.

Tiresias (solemnly)

Our philosophizing over the deity is in vain. Commandments inherited from the fathers, as ancient as time itself - no mind can overthrow them, no wisdom, even if it were found in the innermost depths human soul. (Softer, shaking hands with Cadmus.) They will say that I am disgracing my old age by thinking about dancing and crowning my head with ivy. But God did not establish differences between the young and the old, determining who should dance and who should not; he wants everyone to honor him together, and does not want to receive honors by rank. (He wants to drag Cadmus with him to the right: he, who has been restlessly looking into the distance for some time, holds him back.)

Since you, Tiresias, do not see the light of day, I will tell you in words what is happening. Here Pentheus, the son of Echion, to whom I transferred power over the country, is hastily approaching the palace. How excited he is! Will he say anything new?

They retreat together under the shadow of the colonnade.

SECOND SCENE

From the right side, Pentheus (a young man of about eighteen with a handsome but pale face, bearing the imprint of mental work and ascetic life) in traveling clothes, with a spear in his hand, is quickly approaching; his bodyguards follow him. The chief of the guard standing at the door of the palace respectfully walks towards him; he addresses him, not noticing the presence of the choir and both

elders; his speech is angry and intermittent.

I was about to leave this country; but now I hear about an unprecedented disaster that has broken out over our city - that our women, under the pretext of imaginary Bacchic sacraments, have left their homes and are now raging in the shady mountains, honoring with their round dances this newly declared god - Dionysus, as he is called; that they settled in groups around full jugs of wine (here Pentheus’s eyes light up with a strange brilliance; his voice trembles from internal excitement, which he wants to overcome, but cannot), and then - some here, some there - stealthily going into secluded places to be given to men there; At the same time, they pretend that they are sacred maenads, but in reality they serve Aphrodite more than Bacchus. (After a pause, calmer.) I caught some: slaves tied their hands and are now guarding them in the city prison; I will go hunt for the rest in the mountains - and among them are Ino, Agave, who gave birth to me Echion, and Actaeon's mother, Autonoe - and, entangling them with iron nets, I will quickly force them to stop their criminal bacchanalia.

I was also told that some foreigner appeared, a healer and magician from the Lydian land, with light curls, luxurious and fragrant, with a bright blush, with the beauty of Aphrodite in his eyes; It is he who spends days and nights with young women, initiating them into the Bacchic sacraments. It is he who calls Dionysus a god, he says that he was sewn up in the thigh of Zeus - this baby who was burned by the flame of lightning along with his mother, for her false boast of marriage with Zeus! Is there such a terrible execution that this stranger who came from nowhere with his blasphemous speeches would not deserve? (Cadmus involuntarily cried out, hearing from the lips of Pentheus an insult to the memory of Semele; Pentheus interrupts his speech, looks around and notices him.) But here is a new wonder! In front of me, in a motley robe, is the fortuneteller Tiresias, and with him my mother’s father; and both of them - what a funny sight! - with thyrsus in their hands they honor Bacchus! It disgusts me, my father, to look at you, old men, devoid of intelligence. Shake off the ivy, rid your hand of the thyrsus, you, father of my mother!.. Did you instill this in him, Tiresias? Do you want to introduce the service of this new god among people, so that you are assigned to watch birds and pay money for examining the insides? If your gray old age had not saved you, you would have sat among the Bacchantes for spreading vile mysteries. Yes, vile ones! where women are concerned and where they are treated to sweet wine at a feast - nothing worthwhile can be expected from such sacred rites!

Coryphee

What wicked words, stranger! Are you not ashamed before the gods and before Cadmus, who sowed the earthly tribe?

If a wise person chooses a worthy subject for his speech, then its beauty should not arouse displeasure. Your tongue moves easily, like that of a prudent person, but there is no reason in your speeches; and such a person - brave and eloquent, but devoid of intelligence - can be a harmful citizen.

This new god, at whom you mock, I cannot even say how great he will be in Hellas. Notice, young man: there are two principles that dominate people’s lives.

The first is the goddess Demeter... she is also the Earth; you can call her by one name or another. But she only feeds dry food to mortals; he, this son of Semele, supplemented the missing half of her gifts, he invented wet food, wine and brought it to mortals, thanks to which the suffering lose consciousness of their grief, drinking the moisture of grapes, thanks to which they taste the oblivion of daily torments in a dream - in a dream, this the only healer of sorrow. He, being himself a god, is offered in the form of libations to other gods, so that through his mediation people receive all other benefits.

He is also a broadcaster - the Bacchic frenzy contains a large share of the prophetic spirit: with the powerful power of his influx, God forces those possessed by him to speak the future. He finally acquired a share with him military force: more than once an army drawn up and armed was scattered by sudden terror before it was touched by the enemy's spear; but this too is rabies sent by Dionysus. And you will also see that he will occupy the Delphic rocks, frolicking with torches on the two-headed mountain, throwing and shaking a bacchanalian branch, and will be great throughout all of Hellas.

No, Pentheus, listen to me. Do not rely too much on your power, imagining that it is strength for people; and if you have reasoned one way or another, but your reason is ill, then do not be too convinced of the correctness of your reasoning. No; welcome God to your country, bring him libations, let yourself be initiated into his mysteries and place a wreath on your head. (Pentheus, who had been listening to this speech with barely concealed annoyance, wants to object; Tiresias with a movement of his hand makes it clear to him that he has not finished yet.) Of course, it is not Dionysus who will force women to observe chastity; this is a matter of nature, and here is proof for you: a chaste woman will not allow herself to be seduced in the Bacchic sacraments. Then, you mock that it was sewn into Zeus's thigh; I will teach you how to correctly understand this legend. When Zeus tore him out of the lightning flame and took the baby to Olympus, the home of the gods, Hera wanted to expel him from the sky. Then Zeus took measures against her that only a god could take: he tore off part of the ether surrounding the earth, gave her the image of Dionysus and handed over this ghost as a hostage to the angry Hera. And over time, people, perverting the legend according to which the god Zeus once gave a hostage to the goddess Hera, and changing the words, spread the rumor that he was suckled in the thigh of Zeus. (Pentheus laughs evilly. Tiresias, after a pause, continues meekly and sadly; it is clear that his former inspiration has left him.)

As you wish. I and Cadmus, whom you mock, we will cover our heads with ivy and go dancing; True, we are a gray-haired couple, but what can we do! that's how it should be. Your speeches will not make me fight God: you are struck by extreme madness. No potion will help you, on the contrary: the potion most likely caused your illness.

Coryphee

Thank you, old man; with your speech you do not humiliate Phoebus and at the same time, like a truly wise man, you give honor to Bromius, the great god.

Pentheus again turns to the chief of the guard to give him orders; at the same time, Tiresias searches for Cadmus with his hand, wanting to leave with him; but this latter, who had not taken his eyes off his grandson and sadly noticed his stubbornness, comes up to him and puts his hand on his shoulder; he is confused

stops, bowing his head respectfully.

My child! Tiresias gave you good instructions; live with us, do not alienate the people's faith. Now your mind is wandering, it is sick, although it seems healthy. (In a low voice, leaning towards Pentheus.) Let Dionysus not be a god, as you say; still call him such, decide on a pious lie, claiming that he is really a god, then they will believe that Semele is the Mother of God, and this will bring honor to our entire family... (Pentheus steps back indignantly, raising his right hand in protest; Cadmus continues hastily, changing his tone.)

And then - don’t you think it’s nice when people crowd at the doors of the palace, when the city glorifies the name of Pentheus? In the same way, I believe, he rejoices when he is honored. And then - do you remember the fate of the unfortunate Actaeon, whom the fierce dogs fed by him tore to pieces in the holy clearing for his boastful words that he was a better hunter than Artemis? May the same thing not happen to you! Come here, let me crown your head with ivy; join us in honoring God.

Pentheus involuntarily lowered his hand at the mention of Actaeon; taking advantage of his thoughtfulness, Cadmus takes off his wreath and wants to place it on his grandson’s head;

he flinches and throws his hand away.

Don't touch me! Go, serve Bacchus, but do not think of infecting me with your madness. And for this recklessness of yours, I will punish him, your teacher. (To the bodyguards.) Quickly, someone go to his tower, from which he watches the birds, take crowbars, smash it, overturn it, turn everything into a pile of ruins and betray the bandages to the stormy winds; this will hurt him the most. (To the chief of the guard.) And you, walk around the city and track down that effeminate stranger who is spreading this new infection among women and teaching them to desecrate the marriage bed; It will not be to his joy that he will see the Theban bacchanals, being stoned as punishment for his deeds.

Some of the guards leave with the chief. The bodyguards stand undecided, looking alternately at Pentheus and Tiresias; Peupheus’ commanding gesture forces them to leave, and they timidly bid farewell to Tiresias with a barely noticeable movement of their hand. He stands silently for a while, then slowly and without threat

extends his right hand to Pentheus.

O unfortunate one! You yourself don’t know what you are doing: your former recklessness has given way to rage. Let's go, Cadmus; Let us pray to God both for him, fierce as he is, and for the people, that he may spare both. Walk with me with the ivy staff in your hand; (with a smile) let’s try to support each other: after all, it’s really ugly when two old people fall. (Quickly coming to his senses due to Cadmus’s puzzlement.) But all the same: you need to serve Zeus’s son Dionysus. And Pentheus... I’m afraid that he might bring sadness into your house, Cadmus. I speak not as a broadcaster, but based on his deeds: his madness knows no bounds.

They go to the right, mutually supporting each other, accompanied by the blessings of the choir. Pentheus looks after them and then, contemptuously shaking

shoulders, retreats to his palace.

FIRST STASIM

Gosia, mighty among the gods, Gosia, flying on golden wings above the earth, do you hear these words of Pentheus? Do you hear his wicked mockery of Bromius? Yes, over him, over the son of Semele, the great patron god of the crowned guests at a merry feast; above him, who gave us such gifts: to lead noisy round dances, to have fun at the sound of a flute, to drive away worries, when at a festive feast they bring the delight of wine, when at the table of ivy-decorated men a cup brings sleep to them.

Antistrophe 1.

Unbridled speech, trampling the law and faith of unreason will end in misfortune. On the contrary, life is meek and reasonable - it itself is not overwhelmed by doubts and protects our home from misfortunes: no matter how far they live in the ether, the gods still see the deeds of people. Wisdom, therefore, is not to philosophize and rise in pride above the lot of a mortal. Our life is short; who nevertheless puts too much pressure on himself high goal, he deprives himself of even the momentary joys of life; Crazy, I believe, and unsound people are characterized by such a disposition.

We should go to Cyprus to the island of Aphrodite, where the Eros, enchanting the souls of mortals, live! Or to rainless Paphos, fertilized by the streams of a barbaric river with a hundred mouths! But where is the one who is most beautiful, where is Pieria, the homeland of the muses, where are the holy slopes of Olympus? Lead us there, O Bromius, Bromius, our leader, our blessed god! There are Charites, there is bliss, there bacchantes are allowed to frolic.

Antistrophe 2.

Yes, our god, the son of Zeus, loves fun, but he also loves the gracious Irene, the nurse of youth; That is why he gave people the pleasure of wine, equally accessible to both rich and poor, and not arousing envy in anyone. That is why he is disgusted by those who do not care about bright days, and spend your life in bliss on sweet nights. This is where the wisdom lies: with your mind and heart, avoid immensely smart people. We also accept the faith and rituals of the common people.

SECOND ACT

The chief guard enters from the right side and; behind him two guards lead the captive Dionysus, one by the left arm, the other by the right elbow; Dionysus has a thyrsus in his right hand. They approach the place in the colonnade where a tall stone chair stands on the steps; then the third guard goes to the palace,

from where, after some time, Pentheus emerges in his royal vestments.

Chief of the Guard

We came here, Pentheus, having in our hands (showing Dionysus) this booty for which you sent us; our journey was not in vain. But our beast turned out to be tame; he did not flee, but without coercion extended his hands to us - without turning pale, no, completely preserving the blush of his cheeks - and with a grin invited us to tie him up and take him away; he remained in his place, thereby making my task easier. I felt sorry for him, and I said: “Sorry, stranger, I am not taking you away of my own free will, but by order of Pentheus, who sent me.” (Here the chief of the guard makes a short pause; from his movements it is clear that he has unpleasant news to convey and does not know how to do it. Pentheus, completely occupied with Dionysus, does not listen to the continuation of his speech.)

But the Bacchae, your prisoners, whom you captured, chained and imprisoned in the city dungeon - they are no longer there: free, they happily run to the holy meadows, calling on the god Bromius. The shackles themselves fell from their feet, and the bolts ceased to hold back the doors - without the intervention of a mortal hand. Yes, many miracles marked the arrival of this man in Thebes (noticing that Pentheus did not listen to him); However, the rest is your concern.

(at the very first words, the chief went down to Dionysus and glared at him with a greedy gaze; he stood in a calm pose all the time, looking at Pentheus with genuine sympathy. Finally, the latter gives the guard a sign to leave.) Leave his hands; Once caught in my net, he will not leave me, no matter how agile he is. (The guards with the chief retreat, remaining, however, close; Pentheus comes even closer to Dionysus, again his eyes glow with an ominous brilliance, like

But, stranger, you are not bad-looking... at least for the taste of women; but it was for their sake that you came to Thebes. It was not the palestra that grew these long curls of yours, which hang along your very cheeks onto your shoulders, full of bliss: and White color your skin of artificial origin: you did not acquire it under the rays of the sun, but in the shadows, luring Aphrodite’s prey with your beauty... (Suddenly turns away, as if wanting to get rid of an annoying thought; then slowly climbs the steps, sinks into a chair and makes a sign to Dionysus come closer. He obeys.)

So first of all, tell me where you're from.

I can’t boast about my family, but I can answer your question without difficulty; You've probably heard about the flowery Tmol?

Yes, I heard; is this the one that surrounds Sardis?

That's where I'm from; Lydia is my homeland.

Why are you introducing these sacraments into Hellas?

Dionysus, son of Zeus, sent me.

(flashing)

Is there a Zeus there who gives birth to new gods?

Did he give you his orders in a dream or in reality?

He saw, and so did I; This is how he introduced me to his sacraments.

(with feigned indifference)

And these sacraments - what do they consist of?

The uninitiated cannot know about them.

But of what use are they to those who celebrate them?

You can't hear about them without sin, but it's worth knowing about them.

Pentheus (trying to hide his annoyance)

You cleverly managed to throw dust in my eyes to arouse my curiosity.

The sacraments of God are hated by the worshipers of wickedness.

Pentheus (confused by Dionysus's answer, after a moment's pause)

You say that you have seen God with your own eyes; what was he like?

As he himself wished; I didn’t manage this.

Again you dodged, giving me a clever but meaningless answer.

He would be foolish who would give wise answers to the ignorant.

Tell me... Is Thebes the first country into which you introduce your god?

All barbarians celebrate his noisy sacraments.

That is why they are much more unreasonable than the Hellenes.

No, in this they are much more intelligent than them; However, each people has its own faith.

Pentheus (after another pause, trying to appear calm)

Tell me... do you perform your rituals day or night?

Mainly at night: solemnity is characteristic of darkness.

(with an evil laugh)

This is a rotten place of your ministry, insidiously designed for women.

And during the day something vile can be invented.

Enough; You will be punished for your bad inventions.

You too will suffer punishment for your ignorance and wicked treatment of God.

How impudent, however, is our bacchant! He was apparently practicing in verbal warfare.

Tell me, what will happen to me? What punishment will you inflict on me?

(trying in vain to overcome my embarrassment)

First of all... I will cut off this delicate curl of yours.

This strand is sacred; I raise it in honor of God.

Then... hand me the thyrsus that you have in your hands.

Take it away yourself; this is Dionysus's thyrsus.

And I will send you inside the house and imprison you.

(solemnly)

God himself will free me whenever I want.

This will be when you, surrounded by your bacchantes, call upon him.

No; and now he is close to us and sees what is happening to me.

Where is he? He doesn't show up to me.

He is where I am; you don't see it because you are wicked.

(jumping up and addressing the guards)

Grab him! He mocks me and Thebes.

(to the guards surrounding him)

I forbid you - the prudent to the unreasonable - to knit me.

And I order them this - I, whose will is more powerful than yours.

You don't know what you want; you don't know what you're doing; you don't know what you are.

I am Pentheus, son of Agave, my father Echion.

(with a contemptuous grin, placing himself in the hands of the guards)

Your name is well chosen to make its bearer unhappy.

Go! Put him in a stable near the manger so that he can see the darkness of the night all around him; dance there for yourself. (Pointing to the choir, which was watching what was happening with the most lively participation and is now partly imploring him, partly surrounding Dionysus, falling at his feet and trying to catch his hand or the hem of his cloak.) And they, whom you brought here as helpers in your abominations , - I will either sell them, or, having weaned their hands from this noisy playing on the tympanum, I will assign them to the crowns as my slaves.

(To the guards.) Let's go. (To the chorus, with tenderness.) Do not be afraid: what is not destined to be will not happen. (To Pentheus, strictly.) And for these insults, that Dionysus, whom you do not recognize, will reward you: plotting against me, you are taking him to prison. (He leaves with the guards through the middle gate into the palace; Pentheus also leaves after them, after which the doors are tightly closed. Only the choir remains on stage.)

SECOND STASIM

Achelous daughter, virgin mistress of Dirk! Wasn’t it you who once accepted the baby Zeus into your waves, when Zeus the parent took him from the immortal fire and hid him in his thigh, exclaiming: “Come, Dithyramb, come here, into my male womb: with this name I call you, Bacchus, in example of Thebes"? And you, blessed Dirka, push us away when we want to lead crowned round dances in your country? Why are you rejecting us? Why are you alienated from us? Still - we swear by the sweet fruits of the Dionysus vine - you will still remember Bromia!

Antistrophe.

To prove his earth-born origin, his birth from the serpent Pentheus - he, who has the earth-born Echion as his father, - he, this wild monster, is not a mortal man, but a bloodthirsty giant fighting with the gods! Not long before he orders us, the Bromian priestesses, to be tied up; and now he is keeping our comrade in his house, imprisoning him in a gloomy prison. Do you see, son of Zeus, Dionysus, your prophets in the grip of inevitability? Appear, fair-faced one, descend from Olympus, shaking your thyrsus, and humble the pride of your bloodthirsty husband.

Where are you, Dionysus? Do you lead round dances on Nisa, the nurse of animals, or on the Corycian peaks? Or, rather, in the wooded gorges of Olympus, where once Orpheus, striking the strings, gathered trees with his playing, and gathered wild animals with it? Happy Pieria! yes, Dionysus honors you, he will come to you with his sacraments, and you will be heard by his round dances; yes, he will cross the swift Axis, and a host of his bacchantes will follow him; he will also pass through Ludius, the benefactor father who gives happiness to mortals, clear waters which fertilize this glorious homeland of horses.

ACT THIRD

FIRST SCENE (COMMOS)

Immediately after the choir’s song, which after the dull introduction gradually took on a joyful and triumphant character, is heard from the inner

The Bacchae, struck with surprise and fear, look around.

Io, io! Once again I appeal to you, I, the son of Semele, the son of Zeus!

Coryphee

Io, io! Lord, Lord, appear in our face, Bromius, Bromius!

Shake the soil of the earth, mighty Earthgate!

Coryphee

Ha! The palaces of Pentheus will immediately fall apart. Dionysus in the palace! Worship him!

Bacchae

We worship!

Everyone stretches out their hands to the palace. A deafening crash is heard, accompanied by a prolonged underground rumble; the façade of the palace swayed, the columns shook, the gates opened up, the whole wall seemed ready

collapse.

Coryphee

Look how the stone crossbars of the columns have shaken! This is Bromius celebrating victory inside the palace!

Light the radiant light of Perun! Set fire, set fire to the halls of Pentheus!

Coryphee

Ha! Do you see, do you see the fire surrounding the holy tomb of Semele? This is the flame of Zeus's lightning, which she once left, struck by Perun! Fall on your face in awe! our lord, the son of Zeus, will appear among us, turning these mansions into a pile of ruins.

They fall to the ground.

SECOND SCENE

In response to the last appeal of Dionysus, a pillar of fire rose from Semele’s grave and began to approach the swaying palace; while the bacchantes lie on the ground, not seeing what is happening, the flames engulf the entire palace, it seems that it is burning, but this lasts only a few moments; suddenly the ghostly fire disappears, the palace still stands in its place, and in

open his door appears - in the same form as before

What's wrong with you, barbarians? Were you so frightened that you fell to the ground?.. And you probably noticed how Bromius shook the palace to its foundations. Arise and be of good cheer, forgetting tremulous fear. (He descends onto the stage; the Bacchantes, recognizing their “prophet,” quickly rise and joyfully surround him.)

Coryphee

O you, who gave us the light of the blessed Bacchic gifts, with what joy I look at you after my joyless loneliness!

(half-gentle, half-mockingly)

That's it! Did you feel despondent when I was led into the palace, and it seemed that I would be imprisoned in the gloomy dungeon of Pentheus?

Coryphee

Why not! Who would be our protector if misfortune happened to you? But how were you freed from the bonds of the wicked husband?

I freed myself - easily, without any difficulty.

Coryphee

And he did not chain your hands in the chains of prisoners?

This is precisely the offense caused to him, that he, thinking of knitting me, did not even touch me, but enjoyed it only in his imagination. Having found a bull near the manger, near which he ordered me to be locked up, he began to twist its knees and hooves with ropes, barely catching his breath, sweating profusely, biting his lips. Meanwhile, I calmly sat nearby and watched his efforts. At this time Bacchus appeared, shook the palace and lit a fire on his mother’s grave; when Pentheus saw this, he - imagining that the palace was on fire - began to rush back and forth, ordering the slaves to carry river water, and all the servants began to fuss, working in vain. and I, calmly leaving the palace, returned to you, not paying attention to Pentheus.

But it seems to me - judging by the sound of sandals inside the house - that he is going to immediately appear in front of the palace. He will say something after everything that happened! But no matter how excited he is, it will not be difficult for me to resist him; It becomes a wise man to maintain reasonable composure.

THIRD SCENE

Pentheus quickly leaves the palace, accompanied by the chief of the guard; the rest of the guard follows them. He is engaged in a lively conversation with the commander, whom he apparently intends to send after the fleeing Dionysus;

he doesn’t notice the latter right away.

Imagine what a strange adventure! The stranger who had just been in my power fled, chained. (Notices Dionysus standing nearby in a half-humble, half-mocking pose.) But what do I see! It is he. What does it mean? How did you manage to get outside and appear before the doors of my palaces?

Stop and replace your anger with peace of mind.

How did you free yourself from your shackles? How did you get outside?

After all, I told you - or did you not hear? - that someone will free me.

(convulsively squeezing his head with his hands, with signs of severe pain)

Who it? You keep saying one weird thing after another!

The one who gave mortals the fruitful vine.

The reproach of rage is honorable for Dionysus.

(overcoming his excitement, turns to the head of the guard)

Lock all the gates of the wall surrounding the Kremlin. (The chief leaves with part of the guard; Pentheus sighs more freely.)

What do you think? Will the gods not be able to step over the wall?

(mockingly)

Oh yes, you are wise, wise - and yet, where wisdom was appropriate, there you did not use it.

Against; It’s where I know how to use it, where it’s most appropriate.

The chief of the guard returns; a shepherd comes with him, who, passing by Dionysus, timidly glances at him, and then gives Pentheus a

who does not notice him, bows deeply.

But turn first to this man and listen to his message; he came from the mountains to tell you something. (Noticing that Pentheus wants to give the guards a sign to surround him, with mockery.) And I will remain at your disposal and will not run away.

FOURTH SCENE

Pentheus gives the shepherd an angry look; the one after the second bow

begins his apparently memorized speech.

Pentheus, ruler of our Theban land! I come from the heights of Cithaeron, which are never abandoned by the sparkling cover of white snow...

(cutting him off with an impatient gesture)

What important news made you come?

(hurriedly)

I saw the mighty Bacchantes, sir, fleeing from our land with a light foot, and I came to inform you and the citizens about their unheard-of and more than amazing deeds... (Pentheus painfully presses his hands to his heart; the shepherd, in embarrassment, interrupts the speech he had begun and asks in an offended tone. )

But I would like to know whether I should frankly tell you how everything is there, or whether I should moderate my speech; I’m afraid of the speed of your decisions, sir, I’m afraid of your hot-tempered and overly commanding disposition.

(quickly and thoughtlessly)

Speak! whatever you say, I guarantee you impunity; (remembering) one shouldn’t be angry about the truth. (Noticing the mocking expression on the face of Dionysus, who did not take his eyes off him.) And the more unheard of what you tell me about the bacchantes, the more severely we will punish him, who taught women these matters.

I began to slowly drive my cows up the mountain to pasture - by the time the sun begins to warm the earth with its rays - suddenly I saw three gatherings of women; one was commanded by Autonoe, the other by your mother Agave, and in front of the third was Ino. They were all in deep sleep; some rested on spruce branches, others on oak leaves, with their heads on the ground, as it was more convenient for each, modestly and decently, and not as you say - that they, intoxicated by wine and the sounds of the flute, retire into the forests, looking for love pleasures .

Pentheus with an angry movement orders the shepherd to get down to business.

And so your mother heard the mooing of the horned cows and, standing among the bacchantes, shouted to them to shake the sleep from their limbs. Having freed their eyelids from sweet sleep, they rose to their feet, presenting a wonderful spectacle with their beautiful decency - all of them, both young and old, but especially the virgins. And first of all, they let down their hair over their shoulders, attached the unbridled ones, if anyone had time to untie the knots, and girded these spotted skins with snakes that licked their cheeks. Others, meanwhile—whose breasts ached from the rush of milk after a recent birth, and the child was left at home—took chaps or wild wolf cubs into their hands and fed them white milk. After this they were crowned with the greenery of ivy, oak or flowering yew. And so one, taking the thyrsus, hit it against the rock - a soft stream of water immediately splashed out of the rock; the other threw the thyrsus to the ground - God sent her the key of wine; whoever wanted to drink the white drink had to rake the ground with the tips of his fingers to find streams of milk; and sweet honey oozed from the ivy leaves of the thyrsus. In a word, if you were there, at the sight of this you would turn with prayer to the God whom you now blaspheme.

New impatient movement on the part of Pentheus.

Then we, the bull herders and the sheepherders, gathered to talk and talk with each other; and one of ours - he loved to wander around the city and spoke eloquently - told us, addressing everyone (mimicking the mocking tone of the speaker): “Hey you, sons of the holy peaks! Do you want to catch Pentheus’s mother, Agave, take her away from the crowd of bacchantes and deserve royal gratitude?" We decided that he was talking business and positioned ourselves in ambush in the foliage of the bushes so as to remain hidden.

At the appointed hour, they began to shake their thyrsus in a Bacchic dance, calling with one voice “Iacchus” - Bromius, the son of Zeus. And the whole mountain began to move in bacchanalian rejoicing, all the animals; There was no object that would not spin while running. Here Agave rushed past me closely; I jumped out to grab her, leaving the bush in which I was hiding; then she cried out: “Hurry, my fast hounds! These men want to catch us; follow me! Grab the thyrsus, and follow me!”

We escaped; otherwise the bacchantes would have torn us apart. They, unarmed, rushed at the cattle chewing the grass. And so one began to carry out manual reprisals on the dry cow, mooing under her hands; others tore apart and smashed the heifers; a rib flew into the air, a cloven hoof fell to the ground; and the animal itself hung on the spruce tree, dripping and bleeding. Fierce bulls, who previously took on the horns of anyone who teased them, now fell to the ground under thousands of girl's hands, and the covers of their meat were blown away faster than you could close your royal eyes... (Pentheus raises his hand in disgust, protesting against the ominous omen of the last words; the shepherd, noticing his awkwardness, lowers his head in fear; after a short pause, he continues.)

Having completed this task, they rose like a flock of birds, rushed in a fast run to the foothill plains, which, irrigated by Asopus, bring the Thebans a rich harvest - to Hysias and Erythrames, lying at the foot of the Cithaeronian rocks; Having burst in there like enemies, they began to smash and knock over everything that fell into their hands. They carried the children out of their houses, whom they placed on their shoulders, who, without being tied, rested on them and did not fall to the black ground. neither honey nor iron; they put fire on their hair, and it did not burn them.

The peasants, seeing that their property was being destroyed by the Bacchantes, took up arms in irritation; but then, sir, we saw an unheard of sight. Their sharpened weapons failed to taste blood; and the Bacchantes, throwing thyrses at them, inflicted wounds on them and put them to flight - women of men! but, apparently, the matter could not have happened without God. And then they returned from whence they came, to the very keys that God had given them; there they washed off the blood, and the snakes licked the drops hanging on their cheeks, cleansing their faces.

So, lord, accept this god, whoever he is, into our city; in addition to his other greatness, he is said to have bestowed upon mortals the vine, the comforter of those who mourn. And if there is no wine, there is no Cyprus, there are no more pleasures for people.

Pentheus, immersed in deep thought, mechanically makes a sign to the shepherd,

for him to leave; he sadly shakes his head and leaves.

FIFTH SCENE

Pentheus stands still without saying a word; the choir, watching with joyful tension

following the shepherd's story, apparently triumphant.

Coryphee

No matter how scary it may be to express your opinion openly in front of the king, it will be expressed: there is no god to whom Dionysus would yield!

(waking up from his stupor, casts a fierce glance at the bacchantes)

No! More and more closely, like a fire, the schadenfreude of the Bacchae engulfs us, deeply disgracing us before the Hellenes. You shouldn't hesitate. (To the chief.) Go to the gates of Electra; tell all the shield-bearers to come there to meet me, all the riders on their fast horses, all who shake a light pelt and pull the bow string with their hands. Yes, we will go on a campaign... (with a painful laugh) against the Bacchae! It is unbearable to endure from women what we endure.

The boss leaves. Dionysus, who had been standing at some distance from Pentheus all the time, approaches him and in a calm voice, keeping all your composure,

tells him.

I know, Pentheus, you do not obey my words; nevertheless, despite all the insults that I suffer from you, I advise you to remain calm and not raise weapons against God: Dionysus will not allow you to take the bacchantes away from the blessed mountain.

(looking at Dionysus with a half-angry, half-frightened gaze)

Do not teach me! You escaped from shackles - cherish your freedom. Or do you want me to twist your arms again?

I would prefer, if I were you, to make a sacrifice to him, like a mortal to a god, than to turn against the prick in irritation.

I will make a sacrifice to him - and in order to honor him as he deserves, I will carry out a terrible massacre in the gorges of Kiferon.

(all with the same imperturbable indifference)

You will all run away; but it will be a shame when you with your copper shields turn your rear in front of the thyrsus of the bacchantes.

What an unbearable stranger fate has brought me together with! No matter what you do with him, he does not want to remain silent.

(looks triumphantly at Pentheus, as if preparing a decisive blow; but little by little his face and movements begin to express compassion for the young king, he approaches him, puts his hand on his shoulder and with a tone of sincere

participation tells him)

My friend! There is still an opportunity to arrange everything for the better.

(fearful and distrustful)

Which? The one so that I submit to my own slaves?

I will bring the women here myself, without resorting to weapons.

Thank you! This is already a treacherous plan against me!

Where is the betrayal when I want to save you with my plan.

You probably agreed on this in order to have the opportunity to serve Bacchus forever!

Yes, you are right; In this I agreed with God.

Wants to take Pentheus by the hand; he stands in confusion, not knowing what to decide;

but then throws away the hand of Dionysus and turns to the guards.

Bring me a weapon. (To Dionysus.) Stop reasoning!

Dionysus (retreats a few steps, without taking his enchanting eyes off Pentheus, and,

taking advantage of his puzzlement, he insinuatingly tells him)

Listen... would you like to see them sitting there together on the mountain?

(quickly lowers his head; blood rushes to his face, in his eyes again

the same unkind expression as in the first act; as if unconsciously

words spoken in a low voice come out of him)

Oh yeah! I would give a pile of gold for this.

(quickly changing tone, with mockery)

Where did you get such a passionate desire?

(trying to control himself, with embarrassment)

Wish? No! It will pain me to see them weighed down by wine.

(poisonous)

How so? Do you want to look at what hurts you?

(with increasing embarrassment)

Well, yes... but silently, sitting under the fir trees.

(with a tone of feigned concern)

In vain; they will track you down even if you come secretly.

(trying in vain to get out)

Why secretly? I will go openly; you told the truth.

(extending his hand to Pentheus)

So I'll lead you and you'll go on your way?

(convulsively squeezing Dionysus’s hand)

Yes, let's go quickly; I regret every minute.

(indifferent)

So put on linen.

(surprised)

Why is this? Have I turned from a man into a woman?

And so that they wouldn’t kill you if they recognized you as a man.

Not a bad idea! Yes, you are wise, I noticed this a long time ago.

(good-naturedly)

It was Dionysus who made me wise.

How can you call good what you want to persuade me to do?

It’s very simple: we will enter the palace and I will dress you up.

Yes, but what outfit? is it really for women?

Dionysus nods his head.

No, I'm ashamed! (He wants to go to the palace.)

(shrugs contemptuously)

Apparently you don’t really want to look at the bacchantes. (Pretends to want to leave.)

(quickly stopping after the departing Dionysus)

Tell me... what is this outfit you want to dress me in?

(also stopping)

I will loosen your hair so that it hangs from your head to your shoulders.

Pentheus (after a moment's thought nods his head approvingly, then hesitantly

continues)

And what... is the second accessory of my outfit?

A dress to the toes, and a miter on the head.

(angrily)

Would you like to put something else on me?

(good-naturedly)

I will give you a thyrsus in your hand and put the spotted skin of a deer on you.

No, I am not able to wear a woman's dress!

So, would you rather shed blood by giving battle to the Bacchantes?

(with a sigh)

It’s better to let anything happen, so long as I don’t be a laughing stock for the bacchantes.

(after thinking a little, joyfully)

You are right; You should first go on reconnaissance.

(approvingly)

This is more prudent than adding new ones to old troubles.

But how can I walk through the city without the Cadmeans noticing me?

We'll go along deserted streets; I will be your guide.

(after a short pause)

We will first enter the palace; there I will decide what is best.

Agree; I am ready to serve you everywhere.

I'm coming. (He climbs the steps with an unsteady gait; passing by the guards, with dignity.) And then I will either go there with a weapon, or (in a low voice to Dionysus, who followed him to the colonnade) I will listen to your advice! (He goes into the palace.)

(seeing that Pentheus has left, he suddenly addresses the choir)

The victory is ours, friends; he is already heading towards the net; he will see the bacchantes and, as punishment, will accept death from them.

Dionysus, now it’s up to you - and you’re close - we’ll punish him. First of all, deprive him of his mind, inducing slight insanity into him; being in his right mind, he would never want to wear a woman’s dress, but when he loses his mind, he will wear it. I want him to become the laughing stock of the Thebans, after his previous terrible threats, led through the city in women's clothing.

But I will go and put on him an outfit in which he will go to the kingdom of shadows, killed by his mother’s hand; he recognizes Zeus's son, Dionysus, a god as formidable for the lawless as he is meek for the pious. (He goes into the palace.)

THIRD STASIM

Are we destined to finally perform lightly in all-night round dances, frolicking in bacchanalian joy and throwing our heads towards the damp night wind? This is how the doe plays, rejoicing in the luxurious greenery of the meadows, when she escaped from a terrible raid, passed the beaters, and jumped over the intricately woven net. And so, while the hunter shouts to his hounds, accelerating their speed, she, wild-footed, although exhausted in the run, rushes along the valley along the river, rejoicing in the solitude in the greenery of the densely leafed forest.

What is wisdom, what is the most beautiful gift to man from the gods, if not to humble the neck of enemies with a victorious right hand? And what is beautiful is forever sweet.

Antistrophe.

God's power does not move quickly, but you can trust it; she punishes mortals who worship unreason and, for the sake of a reckless dream, deny honor to the gods. They wait for a long time for the wicked man in a cunning ambush, but then capture him. And they are right: one should not rise above faith in one’s opinions and thoughts; it does not require much effort of thought to be convinced of the power of what we call divinity, to recognize as eternal and innate those truths that are so for a long time were an object of faith.

What is wisdom, what is the most beautiful gift to man from the gods, if not to humble the neck of enemies with a victorious right hand? And what is beautiful is forever sweet.

Blessed is the swimmer who escapes the storm and reaches the harbor; Blessed is the one who pacifies the anxiety in his soul. Otherwise there is no lasting happiness; In both wealth and power, another may outstrip you. True, there are other hopes, hovering in countless numbers among countless mortals; but some of them ultimately come down to achieving wealth, while others do not come true. No! whose life is happy in its momentary gifts, I consider him blessed.

ACT FOUR

Dionysus leaves the palace; his face expresses concern and anxiety.

Slowly descending the steps, he quickly turns towards the palace.

You, ready to see what is sinful to see, striving for what it is disastrous to strive for - I call you, Pentheus! Appear in front of the palace, let me see you in the clothes of a woman, a maenad, a bacchante... (recovering himself, insinuatingly) your mother’s spy and her joy!

(leaves the palace)

A long-skirted female tunic surrounds his figure, a bridal gown hangs from his shoulder, his hair is loose, he has a miter on his head, and his eyes wander. His gait is unsteady, the old slave supports him. Coming out into the sun, he screams in fear and convulsively raises his hand to his eyes; after a while he

timidly looking sideways at Dionysus, he speaks to him in a voice trembling with horror.

What happened with me? It seems to me that I see two suns, I see Thebes twice, the entire seven-gate city... it seems to me that you are walking ahead of us in the form of a bull and that horns have grown on your head... Are you really a beast? You look like a bull...

(trying to calm him down)

From this it is clear that God, who was not previously disposed towards us, accompanies us as a friend; (mockingly) now you see what you should see.

Pentheus (involuntarily lowering his eyes, peers at his outfit; little by little his horror

turns into childish gaiety)

What do you think? Am I standing with Ino's posture? or rather Agave, my mother?

(nodding his head approvingly)

Looking at you, I imagine that I see one of them; and by your appearance you can be mistaken for the daughter of Cadmus. (He heads towards the exit to the right, but then suddenly stops; it is clear that he is fighting with himself; he turns around and looks at Pentheus with a gaze full of tenderness and compassion.) However, this strand of your hair is out of place; it doesn't hang the way I fitted it under the miter.

Apparently, she separated back in the palace, when I bowed my head and threw it back in a Bacchic dance.

It’s okay, I’ll fix it again - my job is to look after you. (Approaches Pentheus.) Keep your head straight.

Okay, decorate me; That's why I gave myself to you.

Dionysus (takes off his miter, fixes his hair, then attaches the miter again; he is in no hurry, it is clear from everything that he wants to delay the moment of leaving. Having finished his work, he again heads for the exit, stops again, again

looks at Pentheus and tells him tenderly)

Likewise, your belt is not tight enough, and the folds of your dress do not descend in strict order to your feet.

And it seems so to me, at least from the right side; but on the other hand, the dress hangs correctly all the way to the heel.

(adjusting Pentheus's dress)

Oh, you will call me the first of your friends when you see the Bacchae... (to yourself) much more chaste than you expect.

Having finished his work, he heads to the exit; but Pentheus, whom it seems

bursting with heat at the mention of the Bacchantes, stops him.

Tell me... in which hand should I take the thyrsus in order to become even more like a bacchante? To the right or to that?

It should be raised right hand, simultaneously with the right leg.

Pentheus performs the indicated movements.

I'm glad your mind has left the old rut.

Will I be able to lift the whole of Cithaeron with its valleys and the Bacchantes themselves on my shoulders?

You can if you want. Your mind used to be sick, but now it is what it should be.

Should we take the crowbars with us? Or should I lift the mountain with my hands, resting my shoulder on the top?

(adjusting to Pentheus’s mood)

Do not destroy the temples of the nymphs and the home of Pan, where he plays the flute!

You are right; Women should not be conquered by force; I'd rather hide under the fir trees.

You will hide as you should hide, (with special emphasis) appearing as a treacherous spy for the Maenads.

Pentheus (who, at the mention of the maenads, was again overcome with heat, with a sensual laugh,

and his face takes on an increasingly crazy expression)

You know, it seems to me that I will capture them among the bushes, like little birds entangled in the sweet nets of love!

That's why you're going to lie in wait for them; and you will probably capture them... (to yourself) if you yourself are not captured first.

Lead me straight through Thebes; I am the only citizen of this city who decided on such a feat.

Yes, you alone sacrifice yourself for the city, alone; For the same reason, you will face battles that you deserve. (After a new extreme effort on himself.) Let's go there; I will be your... (after some hesitation) saving guide; and from there he will take you away... (address) another.

(with a blissful smile)

Do you mean: my mother?

(with the expression of a clairvoyant, voice trembling with pity)

High above all the people...

That's why I go there!

Back you will carry...

What bliss!

In mother's arms...

No, it's too lush!

(with an expression of horror, covering his face with his hands)

Oh yes, so magnificent...

True, I deserve it... (Forgetting to finish the phrase, he leaves with an uneven gait, supported by his slave, throwing back his head and swinging his thyrsus; all his movements breathe with the consciousness of unheard-of greatness and bliss.)

(still shocked by the scene he saw in his mind)

Oh, you are great, great, and great is the suffering to which you have doomed yourself; for the same reason your glory will ascend to heaven. Stretch out your hands, Agave and you, her sisters, daughters of Cadmus; I am leading a young man to you to a terrible battle, and the winner will be me, yes, Bromius. (To the chorus.) What all this means will be shown to you by the matter itself. (He walks quickly.)

FOURTH STASIM

Rush, fast dogs of Fury, rush to the mountain where the daughters of Cadmus dance in circles; infect them with rabies against the one who is in women's clothing, against the mad spy maenads. His mother will be the first to see him, as he waits for her friends from a bare rock or tree, and calls out to the maenads: “Who is this spy, the Bacchae, who came himself to the mountain, yes, to the mountain, to spy on the Cadmean women who fled to the mountains? Who is his mother? Not a woman she gave birth to him, no; this is the offspring of some kind of lioness or Libyan Gorgon."

Antistrophe.

Didn’t he have the wrong idea and the wicked desire to go on a crazy and sacrilegious campaign against yours, Bacchus, and your mother’s mysteries, in order to defeat the invincible by force? No, selfless devotion to the god of man is better: it only gives mortals a painless life. I do not envy the wise men; there is another, high, obvious benefit, to which it is joyful to strive: it consists in spending days and nights in decorating our lives and pleasing to God, in order to shun everything that is outside of faith and truth, and to give honor to the gods.

Appear, obvious Judgment, appear with a sword in your hand, strike with a decisive blow in his heart, who has forgotten about God, and about faith, and about truth, his earthly son of Echion!

Appear as a bull, or a many-headed serpent, or a fire-breathing lion; appear, Bacchus, let him, the catcher of bacchantes, fall into the disastrous crowd of maenads and, laughing, throw a noose over him.

ACT FIFTH

FIRST SCENE

The slave who accompanied Pentheus to Cithaeron runs onto the stage covered in dust, barely catching his breath. Seeing the palace of Pentheus, he throws himself on his knees and

cries out crying.

O house, once happy throughout Hellas, the house of the Sidonian elder, who sowed the serpent's seed in the field of Ares! Although I am a slave, I cry for you. (Sobbing prevents him from continuing.)

Coryphee

What's happened? Are you bringing news from the Bacchantes?

Pentheus, son of Echion, is dead!

Bacchae

O Lord Dionysus, you have proven your divine greatness.

(jumping up, threatening)

What did you say? What do your words mean? Are you happy, women, woe is my gentlemen?

Bacchae

We are foreigners, and in foreign songs we bless our god; The time of humility and fear of shackles has passed!

Do you think that Thebes is so poor in people,

Summons with signs the guards, servants and citizens, in greater and greater numbers

flocking to the square; everyone, struck by horror, remains silent.

Bacchae

(noticing his triumph)

Dionysus, yes, Dionysus, not Thebes, rules over us.

(hanging his head sadly)

You can be forgiven for this; and yet, women, it is a sin to have fun when such a misfortune has occurred.

Bacchae

Teach us, tell us, by what death did the wrong husband, the instigator of the wrong deed, die?

Leaving behind last farms our Theban land and having passed the channel of Asopus, we began to climb the slope of Cithaeron, Pentheus, I, who accompanied my master, and that stranger who was our guide to the place of the festival. At first we settled down in a green oak grove, trying not to rustle with our feet or speak loudly, so that we could see everything without being visible ourselves. In front of us was a basin surrounded by steep cliffs, watered by streams; here, in the thick shade of pine trees, sat the maenads, doing pleasant work. Some, whose thyrsus had lost its greenness, again entwined it with ivy; others, cheerful, like stallions from whom the motley yoke had been removed, mutually answering each other, sang a bacchanalian song.

The unfortunate Pentheus, who did not see this crowd of women, said: “Stranger, from the place where we stand, I cannot see these self-proclaimed maenads; but from the cliff, climbing a tall spruce, I could see exactly all the sinful deeds of the bacchantes ". Here I had to witness a true miracle created by a stranger. Grabbing a spruce branch that rose to the sky by its outermost shoot, he began to bend it, bend it, until he bent it down to the black ground, and the tree described an arc, like a bow or a wheel, to which a compass had drawn a curved line of its circumference; That’s how the stranger bent that mountain spruce to the ground with his own hands, doing a job not allowed to a mortal. Then, placing Pentheus on this tree seat, he let the spruce straighten up, little by little, so that it would not throw him off: so it straightened up, resting its top against the sky, and my master sat on the top.

But better than he could see the maenads, they saw him. I barely had time to make sure that he was sitting on a tree when the foreigner disappeared, and a voice was heard from the ether, obviously Dionysus: “It’s up to you, virgins! I brought to you the one who mocks you, me and my sacraments.” ;deal with him!" Simultaneously with these words, a column of sacred fire lit up between heaven and earth. The ether fell silent, the leaves of the mountain oak forest did not move, the voices of animals were not heard; They, having vaguely perceived his voice with their ears, rose from their seats and, perplexed, began to look around. He called to them again; when the daughters of Cadmus clearly heard the order of Bacchus, they rushed with the speed of doves, straining their legs in a hasty run, and mother Agave, and her sisters, and all the bacchantes, and, inspired by the influx of god, they jumped over tree stumps and boulders, which winter streams cluttered the basin.

When they saw my master on the spruce tree, they climbed onto a rock rising against the spruce tree and first began to throw stones and spruce branches at him with all their might, like darts; others threw thyrsi at Pentheus in pitiful shooting. But this led to nothing: he sat at a height inaccessible to their efforts, although he himself, unfortunate, was in a hopeless situation. In the end, they broke the oak branches and began to tear apart the spruce roots with these non-iron crowbars. Seeing that they were achieving nothing by this, Agave shouted to them: “Surround the tree, Bacchantes, and grab its branches; then we will catch the beast and will not let it divulge the secret dances of God.” Then they grabbed the spruce with a thousand hands and tore it out of the ground.

Pentheus sat high on the top - and from this height he flew down and crashed to the ground. There was a tearing cry - he realized the approach of trouble. The mother was the first, like a priestess, to begin the bloody deed and rushed at him. He tore the miter from his head so that she, unfortunate Agave, would recognize him and not commit murder; he touched her cheek with his hand and said: “My mother, I am your son, Pentheus, whom you gave birth to in the house of Echion; have pity on me, my mother, do not kill your son for my sins!” But she, foaming at the mouth and rolling her wandering eyes, possessed by Bacchus, was not in her right mind, and his prayers were in vain; Grabbing his left hand with her hands, she rested her foot on the unfortunate man’s chest and pulled out his arm and shoulder - not with her strength, no, God himself penetrated her hand with his power. Ino did the same on the other side, tearing the body of her victim; Autonoe and the entire crowd of bacchantes joined her. A wild roar stood over the valley; the groans of the king were heard while he breathed, and the rejoicing of the bacchantes; one carried away a hand, the other a foot along with a sandal; they tore the meat from the ribs, exposing the bones, and carried Pentheus’ body with their stained hands.

Now the parts of the torn body lie in different places, some under gloomy rocks, others in the dense foliage of the forest, and it is not easy to collect them; his poor head, the mother herself, having torn it off with her own hands, stuck it on the tip of the thyrsus and, imagining that it was the head of a mountain lion, carried it straight across Cithaeron, leaving the sisters in the round dances of the maenads. She approaches the gates of our city, proud of her unfortunate prey, calling on Bacchus, her hunting companion, her assistant in the perfect deed, who granted her a glorious victory... him, over whose victorious trophy she will shed many tears!

SECOND SCENE (EMMELIA)

Let us honor Bacchus with a round dance, let us rejoice at the misfortune that befell Pentheus, the brood of serpents; him, who, putting on a woman's attire and taking in his hands a beautiful thyrsus, which doomed him to hell, followed the bull that directed him to death. Glory to you, Cadmean bacchantes! glorious song of victory you deserve it - to your grief, to your tears! What a wonderful trophy it is to seize the bleeding hand of your child!

THIRD SCENE (KOMMOS)

Agave appears on the right edge of the stage, with a crowd of Theban bacchantes with her. Agave is a woman still young, in the full bloom of her matronly beauty. Her flaming cheeks testify to the bacchanalian delight that has seized her, her wandering eyes indicate that this delight has already turned into insanity. Her chiton is stained with blood; at the end of her thyrsus she carries over her left shoulder,

What do women desire? What are they really like? This question is asked by men of all centuries and generations. This question did not escape the great ancient Greek playwright Euripides. In his works he often raised the topic of women. He was ambiguous in his judgments. Euripides acquired a reputation among his fellow citizens as a misogynist, as he often spoke harshly about them. This brought Euripides as much glory as it did misfortune. But he could also show a woman as strong, noble, and make men as low creatures. The theme of the weaker sex occupies a dominant place in his works. This can be clearly seen in one of his works, “The Bacchae.”
Basic storyline The work "The Bacchae" is the struggle of Dionysus against the Theban king Pentheus. Dionysus was born from Zeus and a mere mortal, but always wanted to take his rightful place on Olympus. His divine origin has often been doubted. Pentheus and Agave, his mother’s sister, did not believe in his greatness ancient Greek god and her son. They thought that Dionysus's mother had made up everything about Zeus. His teaching was seen as debauchery and deception, since women, succumbing to the suggestions of Dionysus, indulged in bacchanalia in large numbers. Pentheus and his mother Agave strictly persecuted the Bacchae, trying with all their might to prevent Dionysus from preaching his divinity. To do this, they took the most different ways. What happened to them? Read about it on the pages tragic story, which will not leave anyone indifferent.
Euripides was and remains a master in writing tragedies. Our contemporaries study his writing style and highly appreciate his talent. Reading Euripides' books is always interesting, exciting, and one feels intrigue. "The Bacchae" is a prime example of this. The book shows the cruelty of both mortals and gods. Bloody scenes will touch the consciousness of any reader and make them think about the causes and consequences of any injustice. But who is unjust: people or gods? This is up to the reader to find out. The Bacchae is one of Euripides' best tragedies. As you begin to read this story, you become immersed in amazing world intrigue, anger, injustice, but at the same time love and devotion. Euripides is a worthy representative of his time. Although he was not understood by his contemporaries. Apparently he wrote for future generations. And now he is appreciated.
The books of Euripides are imbued with tragedy, religious views, and the power of passions and occupy a worthy place in the minds of his contemporaries.

On our literary website you can download the book “The Bacchae” by Euripides for free in formats suitable for different devices - epub, fb2, txt, rtf. Do you like to read books and always keep up with new releases? We have big choice books of various genres: classics, modern fiction, literature on psychology and children's publications. In addition, we offer interesting and educational articles for aspiring writers and all those who want to learn how to write beautifully. Each of our visitors will be able to find something useful and exciting for themselves.

Bacchae

Translation by F. F. Zelinsky

to the spectators.

all extraneous antistrophes are removed again.

Having come from the Asian land, having left Saint Tmolus, we bear a pleasant burden in honor of the god Bromius, we serve a sweet service, proclaiming Bacchus.

Antistrophe 1.

Antistrophe 2.

Antistrophe 3.