Pentheus (Met. 3.511-733)

When the god Bacchus reaches Thebes, only young king Pentheus refuses to worship him. Bacchus punishes Pentheus by ensuring that he is torn apart by a band of maenads, among whom is his own mother, Agave.

Model play.

The Bacchae of Euripides figures prominently here.

Areas to explore.

Where does Ovid depart from the Bacchae? What are some reasons for these departures? How does the figure of the ephebe factor into this episode?

Bibliography.

• P. Hardie, "Ovid's Theban History: The First 'Anti-Aeneid'?"
• J. Paula, "Crises of Identity in Ovid's Metamorphoses."
• P. Vidal-Naquet, "The Black Hunter."