Written by the great Athenian tragedian Euripides and premiered posthumously in 405 BC, The Bacchae is a Greek tragedy that presents the story of King Pentheus of Thebes, his mother Agave and their punishment by the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. The god's wrath towards the king and his mother stems from their having spurned Dionysus due to their belief that he was not a true son of Zeus. The play follows the course Dionysus takes to enact revenge against the Theban royal family, causing tremendous hysteria throughout the city that results in tragedy for those who had turned against the god.
