Review Of The Bacchae, The Aeneid, And Book 15 Of...

Within the societies of ancient Greece and Rome, there was a plethora of regimes, Caesars, and empires at the helm of everyday life. The political sphere encountered in the daily routines of ancient Greeks and Romans gave influence to the multitude of literary works produced in these societies. The works of Euripides, Virgil, and Ovid gave a vehicle for these writers to infuse commentary about the politics of the day. Politics is how groups of people organize making decisions that affect the individuals contained within said groups. The Bacchae, the Aeneid, and Book 15 of Metamorphoses all contain commentary concerning politics within their content. In Euripides’ the Bacchae, the city of Thebes is shown to have a system of political inheritance as Pentheus is given control over the city by his grandfather Cadmus, the founder of the city. The god Dionysus is also a grandson of Cadmus, yet is not chosen to be the heir to Thebes, which creates a rivalry between Dionysus and Penth eus. Pentheus does not allow Dionysus into the city of Thebes or give recognition to Dionysus at all. Dionysus and Pentheus both wish to establish their own political rule over the city of Thebes. Pentheus attempts to rule Thebes in an Apollonian fashion. The women brought to Thebes by Dionysus are put under arrest at the order of Pentheus, due to the drunken partying they were having due to Dionysus’ powers. The women’s party went against the social order enforced by the city of Thebes, and Dionysus