UGS 303 1ST EditionLecture 7Outline of Last LectureI. The chorusII. ConflictsIII. The StructureIV. QuestionsOutline of Current LectureI. DefinitionsII. EuripidesIII. DionysusIV. Concluding QuestionCurrent LectureOur very first essay required us to make definitions. Why? In discussions of freedom, there is a lot of name-calling. Words like “tyrant”, “dictator”, and “Nazi” are frequently thrown around as insults. What do you think is the main difference between a reasoned argument and name-calling? Reasoned arguments give the tyrant a chance to change A reasoned argument uses definitions Name-calling is just fighting A reasoned argument shows how the definition fits the case (this was the second most popular answer) All of the above (this was the most popular answer) II. Euripides!These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Euripides was the third of the great tragic playwrights (the first was Aeschylus and the second was Sophocles). Euripides was the most sensational of the three, and Bacchae was his most sensational work of all. III. Dionysus Worship of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus) is one of the oldest aspects of Greek religion, yet Dionysus is always presented as a “new” god from Asia. The Greeks celebrate his arrival because he brings them wine. Dionysus is the god of mayhem, fertility, life, joy, terror, wine, blood, milk, honey, and ecstasy. He is often accompanied by drunken Satyrs. These are sex-obsessed, half-animal half-humans. At the Dionysian festival three tragedies would be presented, followed by a Dionysian play (which was usually crude and gross). A female follower of Dionysus is called a “maenad.” She often carries a thyrsus, which was essentially a staff made out of plant materials. A typical Dionysian ritual would include:Dancing to the point of ecstasy Bringing the god into one’s presence Bringing the god inside oneself Theophagy = eating a god Tearing apart and eating wild animals Omophagy = eating raw flesh A “mystery initiation” to join the cult of Dionysus worshippers involved: Being “born again from darkness into light” (most likely by entering a cave and reemerging feeling enlightened) Seeing things in new waysGaining new strength and youth Achieving life after death IV. Concluding questionA. Should we fear a new
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