The bacchae6/25/2023 ![]() ![]() My aim in this paper is to explore the motif of libation as a multifaceted feature of the Bacchae. Thus the group belongs to the religious language of ritual as well as to the political language of treaties, and, while certain words and forms of σπένδω-σπονδή refer to only one sphere of meaning, others are ambiguous and comprise both spheres. The meaning of this group is not restricted to libation it also refers to the institution of the truce. This use raises two basic questions: apart from the more general question of the role of libation, there is the question of the use of the group itself. In all four passages, Euripides uses words and forms of the group σπένδω-σπονδή. There are four passages in the Bacchae where libation is referred to, once in the prologue (45), twice in the first episode (284, 313) and once in the fourth episode (924). Even though this motif relates directly to the question of the tragic conflict between Dionysus and Pentheus, it has never been discussed in detail and its dramatic impact has not been fully acknowledged. One such aspect is Euripides’ use of libation as a dramatic motif. But there are still aspects that have not received the attention they deserve. Generations of scholars have explored the play from different perspectives and offered fascinating insights. Euripides’ Bacchae is one of the most intensively studied Greek tragedies. ![]()
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