Student No. 0935006

 

Bacchic Cults in Greece

 

 

When we visited Greece in April 2010 I was looking into the presence of Bacchic Cults in Ancient Greek religion and culture.

 

My first experience of an Ancient Greek theatre was at the site of Epidavros. I was surprised at just how well the impressive stone structure had been preserved and was not surprised that the theatre could seat up to 15,000 people. Seeing this theatre made me come to the understanding of how much the Greeks valued theatrical productions. It would have been an opportunity for all sections of society, the young and old, rich and poor, to enjoy plays written by the finest playwrights. Even though the theatre was a form of entertainment open to everyone, there was a class system in how people were seated, the poorer you were, the higher you sat. However even if you were seated right at the top of the theatre, the excellent acoustics of the theatre still allowed you to hear the actor’s words perfectly from the stage. Being able to visit this theatre made me realise what a fantastic grasp the Ancient Greeks had of science and in particular the art of acoustics and sound. In the archaeological museum of Epidavros we were told that there once stood a temple dedicated to Dionysos on the hill surrounding the ancient site of Epidavros. This shows that this site was important for members of the bacchic cult. It was suggested by archaeologists that the temple was there to protect the vineyards that grew on the planes of Epidavros which ties in nicely to the fact that when depicted visually, the god Dionysus is usually surrounded by vine leaves. Dionysus was also revered for being the God of wine.

 

In Delhi we visited the ancient site of the oracle. This site held a certain amount importance for Dionysus and his followers as the god was considered to have prophetic qualities as well as Apollo. Dionysus is also depicted on the west pediment of the Temple of Apollo, holding a cithara in his left hand, which was a type of lyre which placed him on equal terms with Apollo and linked the two different aspects of the two deities together on the temple.  Here built at the top of the site was a theatre, constructed in the 4^th Century BC and added to later by the Romans. The theatre was smaller than the structure at Epidavros but could still seat up to 5,000 people. The theatre allowed spectators a beautiful view of the valley below and of the Temple of Apollo.

 

After visiting Delphi we were planning on visiting the island of Delos to look at the impact of bacchic cults on this remote island but unfortunately due to transport strikes in Athens and the surrounding areas we were unable to complete this part of the Study Tour. I was very disappointed not to be able to visit Delos as the island housed some interesting visual depictions of the god, Dionysus.

 

In Athens we were able to visit the ancient site of the Theatre of Dionysus, next to the Acropolis (not to be confused the better preserved Herodeion Theatre that is found further to the west). Although a lot of the seating at the theatre has been lost over time, the overall sense of grandeur and celebration can still be felt when around this great structure. This theatre, although not as well preserved as the theatre at Epidavros, was of great importance to the Ancient Greeks as it played a key part in their festival, the Great Dionysia. When first built the theatre could seat 17,000 people and as with most Greek theatres, had brilliant acoustics so all the spectators, no matter how high they were seated, could hear the actor’s words easily.  An important factor to note was the ‘position the ‘theatre’ as end-point of a procession. The procession was the core of the rural Dionysia, and theatrical performances an addendum’ (Wiles 1997: 26). Although a lot of the stone from the upper level of seating has now disappeared or been removed, the walkways in which the spectators would use to reach the higher levels can still be made out making it easy to distinguish how large the theatre was. This was the theatre in which the competitions between famous playwrights would take place including Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes. Many scholars attribute the competition element of the theatre to being the reason why it was so popular, ‘this element of the contest, so characteristic of the Greeks, was a further reason for the constant increase in the number of spectators in the theatre. The splendidly decorated priest’s throne in the theatre of Dionysus, for example, shows cocks, as a symbol of the contest, being urged to fight by winged boys. It has been shows that this throne belongs to the fourth century BC, the period of the first stone construction of the theatre of Dionysus’ (Simon 1982: 5). As mentioned in my previous essay this festival was an integral part of the Ancient Greeks religious practices. Being able to see the theatre really helped visualise how this great festival impacted the Ancient Greeks lives every year and how Greek theatre was brought to the masses.

 

By visiting Greece and seeing the ancient sites in person, I was given a chance to visualise how the Ancient Greeks practised religion and in particular how the bacchic cults worshiped the god, Dionysus.

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

Antonaccio, C.M. 1995. An archaeology of ancestors: tomb cult and hero cult in early Grecee. London.

Burkert, W. 1987. Greek Religion. Oxford

Euripides, Bacchae. Trans. D Franklin [Cambridge University Press] (Cambridge 2000)

Farnell, L.R. 1921. Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality. Oxford.

Mills, S. 2006. Euripides: ‘Bacchae’. London.

Polignac, F. 1995. Cults, Territory, and the Origins of the Greek city-state. London.

Seaford, R. 2006. Dionysos. London.

Simon, E. (1982), The Ancient Theatre. New York.

Taylor, L.R. 1985. The Cults of Ostia: Greek and Roman gods, imperial cults, Oriental gods. Chicago

Wiles, D. (1997). Tragedy in Athens: performance space and theatrical meaning. Cambridge.