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In
Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...
, maenads (; ) were the female followers of
Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...
and the most significant members of his retinue, the ''
thiasus In Greek mythology and religion, the ''thiasus'' was the ecstatic retinue of Dionysus, often pictured as inebriated revelers. Many of the myths of Dionysus are connected with his arrival in the form of a procession. The grandest such version wa ...
''. Their name, which comes from μαίνομαι (''maínomai'', “to rave, to be mad; to rage, to be angry”), literally translates as 'raving ones'. Maenads were known as Bassarids, Bacchae , or Bacchantes in
Roman mythology Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans, and is a form of Roman folklore. "Roman mythology" may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to th ...
after the penchant of the equivalent Roman god,
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
, to wear a
bassaris A bassaris (βασσαρίς) is a fox skin worn as clothing in ancient times. The Greek god Dionysus was associated with the bassaris, and his followers (the Maenads) were said to wear it. As a result, they were known as the "Bassarids." Dionysus ...
or
fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
skin. Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by Dionysus into a state of ecstatic frenzy through a combination of dancing and
intoxication Intoxication — or poisoning, especially by an alcoholic or narcotic substance — may refer to: * Substance intoxication: ** Alcohol intoxication ** LSD intoxication ** Toxidrome ** Tobacco intoxication ** Cannabis intoxication ** Cocaine i ...
. During these rites, the maenads would dress in
fawn A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family (biology), family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, a ...
skins and carry a
thyrsus In Ancient Greece a ''thyrsus'' () or ''thyrsos'' (; ) was a wand or staff of giant fennel ('' Ferula communis'') covered with ivy vines and leaves, sometimes wound with '' taeniae'' and topped with a pine cone, artichoke, fennel, or by a ...
, a long stick wrapped in ivy or vine leaves and tipped with a
pine cone A conifer cone, or in formal botanical usage a strobilus, : strobili, is a seed-bearing organ on gymnosperm plants, especially in conifers and cycads. They are usually woody and variously conic, cylindrical, ovoid, to globular, and have scal ...
. They would weave ivy-wreaths around their heads or wear a bull helmet in honor of their god, and often handle or wear snakes. These women were mythologized as the "mad women" who were nurses of Dionysus in Nysa.
Lycurgus Lycurgus (; ) was the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, credited with the formation of its (), involving political, economic, and social reforms to produce a military-oriented Spartan society in accordance with the Delphic oracle. The Spartans i ...
"chased the Nurses of the frenzied Dionysus through the holy hills of Nysa, and the sacred implements dropped to the ground from the hands of one and all, as the murderous Lycurgus struck them down with his ox-goad". They went into the mountains at night and practised strange rites. According to
Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
's ''Life of Alexander'', maenads were called ''Mimallones'' and ''Klodones'' in
Macedon Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...
, epithets derived from the feminine art of spinning wool. Nevertheless, these warlike ''parthenoi'' ("virgins") from the hills, associated with a ''Dionysios pseudanor'' ("fake male Dionysus"), routed an invading enemy. In southern Greece they were described as ''Bacchae'', ''Bassarides'', ''
Thyia Thyia may refer to: * Thyia (mythology) * Thyia (naiad) * Thyia of Thessaly * Thyia (Phocis) {{dab ...
des'', ''Potniades'', and other epithets. The term maenad has come to be associated with a wide variety of women, supernatural, mythological, and historical, associated with the god Dionysus and his worship. In
Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
' play ''
The Bacchae ''The Bacchae'' (; , ''Bakkhai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumou ...
'', maenads of Thebes murder King Pentheus after he bans the worship of Dionysus. Dionysus, Pentheus' cousin, himself lures Pentheus to the woods, where the maenads tear him apart. His corpse is mutilated by his own mother,
Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...
, who tears off his head, believing it to be that of a lion. A group of maenads also kill
Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...
, when he refuses to entertain them while mourning his dead wife. In
ceramic art Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While ...
, the frolicking of Maenads and Dionysus is often a theme depicted on
krater A krater or crater (, ; , ) was a large two-handled type of vase in Pottery of ancient Greece, Ancient Greek pottery and metalwork, mostly used for the mixing of wine with water. Form and function At a Greek symposium, kraters were placed in ...
s, used to mix water and wine. These scenes show the maenads in their frenzy running in the forests, often tearing to pieces any animal they happen to come across. German
philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...
Walter Friedrich Otto Walter Friedrich Gustav Hermann Otto (22 June 1874, in Hechingen – 23 September 1958, in Tübingen) was a German classical philologist particularly known for his work on the meaning and legacy of Greek religion and mythology, especially as r ...
writes:


Cult worship


Bacchanalia

Cultist rites associated with the worship of the Greek god of wine, Dionysus (or
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
in Roman mythology), were characterized by maniacal dancing to the sound of loud music and crashing cymbals, in which the revelers, called Bacchantes, whirled, screamed, became drunk and incited one another to greater and greater ecstasy. The goal was to achieve a state of enthusiasm in which the celebrants' souls were temporarily freed from their earthly bodies and were able to commune with Bacchus/Dionysus and gain a glimpse of and a preparation for what they would someday experience in eternity. The rite climaxed in a performance of frenzied feats of strength and madness, such as uprooting trees, tearing a
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
(the symbol of Dionysus) apart with their bare hands, an act called ''
sparagmos ''Sparagmos'' (, from σπαράσσω ''sparasso'', "tear, rend, pull to pieces") is an act of rending, tearing apart, or mangling, usually in a Dionysian context. In Dionysian rite as represented in myth and literature, a living animal, or som ...
'', and eating its flesh raw, an act called ''
omophagia ''Omophagia'', or omophagy (from Greek "raw") is the eating of raw flesh. The term is of importance in the context of the cult worship of Dionysus. Omophagia is a large element of Dionysiac myth; in fact, one of Dionysus' epithets is ''Omophago ...
''. This latter rite was a sacrament akin to communion in which the participants assumed the strength and character of the god by symbolically eating the raw flesh and drinking the blood of his symbolic incarnation. Having symbolically eaten his body and drunk his blood, the celebrants became possessed by Dionysus.


Priestesses of Dionysus

Maenads are found in later references as priestesses of the Dionysian cult. In the third century BC, when the city of Magnesia wanted to establish a maenadic cult in honour of Dionysus, the
Delphic Oracle Pythia (; ) was the title of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as the Pythoness. The Pythia w ...
bade them, "Go to the holy plain of Thebes to fetch maenads from the race of Cadmean Ino. They will bring you maenadic rites and noble customs and will establish troops of Bacchus in your city."


Myths

Dionysus came to his birthplace, Thebes, where neither Pentheus, his cousin who was now king, nor Pentheus' mother Agave, Dionysus' aunt (Semele's sister) acknowledged his divinity. Dionysus punished Agave by driving her insane, and in that condition, she killed her son and tore him to pieces. From Thebes, Dionysus went to Argos where all the women except the daughters of King
Proetus In Greek mythology, Proetus (; Ancient Greek: Προῖτος ''Proitos'') may refer to the following personages: * Proetus, king of Argos and Tiryns, son of Abas and twin brother of Acrisius. *Proetus, a prince of Corinth as the son of Prince ...
joined in his worship. Dionysus punished them by driving them mad, and they killed the infants who were nursing at their breasts. He did the same to the daughters of Minyas, King of Orchomenos in Boetia, and then turned them into bats. According to
Oppian Oppian (, ; ), also known as Oppian of Anazarbus, of Corycus, or of Cilicia, was a 2nd-century Greco-Roman poet during the reign of the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, who composed the ''Halieutica'', a five-book didactic epic on fishing. ...
, Dionysus delighted, as a child, in tearing kids into pieces and bringing them back to life again. He is characterized as "the raging one" and "the mad one" and the nature of the maenads, from which they get their name, is, therefore, his nature. Once during a war in the middle of the third century BC, the entranced Thyiades (maenads) lost their way and arrived in Amphissa, a city near Delphi. There they sank down exhausted in the market place and were overpowered by a deep sleep. The women of Amphissa formed a protective ring around them and when they awoke arranged for them to return home unmolested. On another occasion, the Thyiades were snowed in on
Parnassos Mount Parnassus (; , ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is, and historically has been, especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers scenic views of the c ...
and it was necessary to send a rescue party. The clothing of the men who took part in the rescue froze solid. It is unlikely that the Thyiades, even if they wore deerskins over their shoulders, were ever dressed more warmly than the men.


Nurses and nymphs

In the realm of the
supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...
is the category of
nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
s who nurse and care for the young Dionysus, and continue in his worship as he comes of age. The god
Hermes Hermes (; ) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology considered the herald of the gods. He is also widely considered the protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves, merchants, and orators. He is able to move quic ...
is said to have carried the young Dionysus to the nymphs of Nysa. In another myth, when his mother, Semele, is killed, the care of young Dionysus falls into the hands of his sisters, Ino, Agave, and Autonoe, who later are depicted as participating in the rites and taking a leadership role among the other maenads.


Resisters to the new religion

The term "maenads" also refers to women in mythology who resisted the worship of Dionysus and were driven mad by him, forced against their will to participate in often horrific rites. The doubting women of Thebes, the prototypical maenads or "mad women", left their homes to live in the wilds of the nearby mountain
Cithaeron Cithaeron or Kithairon (Κιθαιρών, -ῶνος) is a mountain and mountain range about sixteen kilometres (ten miles) long in Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece. The range is the physical boundary between Boeotia region in t ...
. When they discovered
Pentheus In Greek mythology, Pentheus (; ) was a king of Ancient Thebes (Boeotia), Thebes. His father was Echion, the wisest of the Spartoi. His mother was Agave (Theban princess), Agave, the daughter of Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, and grandson of the ...
spying on them, dressed as a maenad, they tore him limb from limb. This also occurs with the three daughters of Minyas, who reject Dionysus and remain true to their household duties, becoming startled by invisible drums, flutes, cymbals, and seeing ivy hanging down from their looms. As punishment for their resistance, they become madwomen, choosing the child of one of their number by lot and tearing it to pieces, as the women on the mountain did to young animals. A similar story with a tragic end is told of the daughters of
Proetus In Greek mythology, Proetus (; Ancient Greek: Προῖτος ''Proitos'') may refer to the following personages: * Proetus, king of Argos and Tiryns, son of Abas and twin brother of Acrisius. *Proetus, a prince of Corinth as the son of Prince ...
.


Voluntary revelers

Not all women were inclined to resist the call of Dionysus, however. Maenads, possessed by the spirit of Dionysus, traveled with him from Thrace to mainland Greece in his quest for the recognition of his divinity. Dionysus was said to have danced down from Parnassos accompanied by Delphic virgins, and it is known that even as young girls the women in Boeotia practiced not only the closed rites but also the bearing of the thyrsus and the dances. A possible foundation myth is the ancient festival called
Agrionia Agrionia was an ancient Greek religious festival in honor of Dionysus Agrionius. It was celebrated annually, especially at Orchomenus in Boeotia. According to Plutarch, agrionia was celebrated at night with only women accompanied by the priests ...
. According to Greek authors like
Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...
, female followers of Dionysios went in search of him and when they could not find him prepared a feast. As Plutarch records this festival, a priest would chase a group of virgins down with a sword. These women were supposed to be descendants of the women who sacrificed their son in the name of Dionysios. The priest would catch one of the women and execute her. This human sacrifice was later omitted from the festival. Eventually the women would be freed from the intense ecstatic experience of the festival and return to their usual lives. The Agrionia was celebrated in several Greek cities, but especially in Boeotia. Each Boeotian city had its own distinct foundation myth for it, but the pattern was much the same: the arrival of Dionysus, resistance to him, flight of the women to a mountain, the killing of Dionysus' persecutor, and eventual reconciliation with the god.


List of maenads

*
Alcimache In Greek mythology, the name Alcimache () may refer to: *Alcimache, daughter of Aeacus and the mother of Medon by Oileus. Alternately, Alcimache was a daughter of Phylacus and mother of Ajax the Lesser, and on that account was equated with Eriopi ...
ia – daughter of
Harpalion In Greek mythology, the name Harpalion (Ancient Greek: Ἁρπαλίων) may refer to: *Harpalion of Lemnos, a wine-grower, father of the Maenad Alcimacheia. *Harpalion, son of Pylaemenes, killed by Meriones in the Trojan War. *Harpalion, son of ...
and a maenad from
Lemnos Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...
who followed Dionysus in his
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n campaign. She was killed during the Indian war by Morrheus, an Indian general son of Didnasos. * Bromie – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. *
Calybe Calybe (Ancient Greek: Καλυβη means "rustic hut") may refer to the two distinct characters from Greek mythology: * Calybe, a nymph who was a wife of the Trojan king Laomedon and the mother of Bucolion. * Calybe, one of the follower of Diony ...
– another follower of Dionysus in the Indian War.Nonnus, 29.270 * Chalcomede – when she followed Dionysus in his Indian campaign, the Indian general Morrheus, hit by one of Eros' arrows, fell in love with her, and when he was about to seize her a serpent darted out of her bosom to protect her. * Charopeia – leader of the Bacchic dance. She followed Dionysus in his Indian campaign. *
Chorea Chorea, or (rarely) choreia, () is an abnormal involuntary movement disorder, characterized by quick movements of the hands or feet. It is one of a group of neurological disorders called dyskinesias. The term ''chorea'' is derived , as the move ...
– followed Dionysus in his expedition against Argos. Perseus is said to have put all the women to the sword, including Chorea, but since she had a higher rank she was not buried in a common grave, but had a tomb apart, which some consider a great honor, although nothing tangible or of any benefit for the dead man or woman appears to come from it. And the memory is kept of many who do not have a tomb. *
Cisseis ''Diphucrania'' is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae. Species * ''Diphucrania aberrans'' (Barker, 2001) * ''Diphucrania acuducta'' (Kirby, 1837) * ''Diphucrania adusta'' (Barker, 2001) * ''Diphucrania aenea'' (Barker, 2007) * ''Diph ...
– one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. * Clite – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. * Codone – a follower of Dionysus in the Indian war. She was killed by Morrheus. * Coronis – a
Thessalian Thessaly ( ; ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia (, ), and appea ...
who was raped by
Butes In Greek mythology, the name Butes (; Ancient Greek: Βούτης, ''Boútēs'') referred to several different people. *Butes, an Athenian prince as the son of King Pandion I and the naiad Zeuxippe. He was a priest of Poseidon and Athena and was ...
, a Thracian. The latter had plotted against his brother, Lycurgus, and had to go in exile. Having traveled through the
Cyclades The CYCLADES computer network () was a French research network created in the early 1970s. It was one of the pioneering networks experimenting with the concept of packet switching and, unlike the ARPANET, was explicitly designed to facilitate i ...
, he and his companions came to Thessaly. There they met the maenads who fled in fright as the men rushed upon them. However Butes seized Coronis and raped her, and she, angry at the seizure and the treatment she received, called upon Dionysus, who, hearing her prayer, drove him mad. Butes then threw himself into a well and died. * Eriphe – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. *
Eurypyle In Greek mythology, Eurypyle (Ancient Greek: Εὐρυπύλη) may refer to the following personages: * Eurypyle, an Amazon queen. * Eurypyle, another name for Eurycyda. * Eurypyle, a Thespian princess as one of the 50 daughters of King Thespius ...
– a follower of Dionysus in the Indian war. She was killed by Morrheus.Nonnus, 30.222 * Gigarto – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. She was killed by Morrheus. *
Gorge A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
– one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. * Melictaina – one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. *
Myrto Myrto (; ; fl. 5th century BC) was, according to some accounts, a wife of Socrates. Sources The original source for the claim that she was Socrates' wife appears to have been a work by Aristotle called ''On Being Well-Born'',Athenaeus, xiii. 555 ...
– one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. *
Nyse The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...
– one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. *
Oenone In Greek mythology, Oenone (; Ancient Greek: Οἰνώνη ''Oinōnē''; "wine woman") was the first wife of Paris of Troy, whom he abandoned for Helen. Oenone was also the ancient name of an island, which was later named after Aegina, daughter ...
– one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. * Phasyleia – a maid in the train of
Methe In Greek mythology, Methe (; ) is the spirit and personification of drunkenness. She entered the retinue of Dionysus and was mentioned in association with the god or other companions of his. Methe was the daughter of Dionysus in some accounts. ...
. She was the leader of the Bacchanal dance. After Methe the surfeit of wine (drunkenness) was called. Methe was married to King
Staphylus Staphylus (; ) is one of several personages of ancient Greek mythology, almost always associated with grapes or wine: * Staphylus, son of wine-god Dionysus and Ariadne. * Staphylus, beloved of Dionysus, from the island of Thasos. It is thanks t ...
of
Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
, who entertained Dionysus in his palace; after him the carryberry
bunch of grapes In viticulture, the grape cluster (also bunch of grapes) is a fertilized inflorescence of the grapevine, the primary part of this plant used for food (grape leaves are also used in some culinary traditions). The size of the grape bunch greatly va ...
was called. * Phlio – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. *
Polyxo Polyxo (; Ancient Greek: Πολυξώ ''Poluxṓ'') is the name of several figures in Greek mythology: *Polyxo, one of the 3,000 Oceanids, water-nymph daughters of the Titans Oceanus and his sister-wife Tethys. *Polyxo, one of the Hyades.''Hy ...
– one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. * Soe – one of the maenads who joined Dionysus in his Indian campaign. She was killed by the Indian general Morrheus. * Staphyle – one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. Killed by Morrheus. *
Sterope Sterope (; Ancient Greek: Στερόπη, , from , ''steropē'', lightning) was the name of several individuals in Greek mythology: * Sterope (or Asterope), one of the Pleiades and the wife of Oenomaus (or his mother by Ares). * Sterope, a Pleu ...
– one of the followers of Dionysus in the Indian War. Killed by Morrheus.Nonnus, 29.237 *
Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; , "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word " terpsichorean", which means "of or relating to dance". Appearance Terpsichore is usually d ...
– a dancing maenad who followed Dionysus in the Indian War and drove away the Indian army with her dance. * Theope – one of the maenads who tried to kill Lycurgus. The names of the maenads according to various vase paintings were: Anthe ("Flower"), Bacche,
Kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite ...
("Beauty"),
Kalyke Kalyke , also known as , is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000, and given the temporary designation .Choiros ("Pig"),
Choro ''Choro'' (, "cry" or "lament"), also popularly called ''chorinho'' ("little cry" or "little lament"), is an instrumental Brazilian popular music genre which originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. Despite its name, the music often has a fa ...
("Dance"), Chrysis ("Gold"), Kisso ("Ivy"), Klyto, Komodia ("Comedy"), Dorkis,
Doro Doro may refer to: * Doro (musician), rock singer, former vocalist of the German heavy metal band Warlock ** ''Doro'' (album), a 1990 album by Doro * Dorothea Wierer, Italian biathlete * Doro (company), a Swedish telecommunications company * Doro, ...
, Eudia ("Calm"),
Eudaimonia Eudaimonia (; ) is a Greek word literally translating to the state or condition of ''good spirit'', and which is commonly translated as ''happiness'' or ''Well-being, welfare''. In the works of Aristotle, ''eudaimonia'' was the term for the hig ...
("Happiness"), Euthymia ("Good Cheer"), Erophyllis, Galene ("Calm"), Hebe ("Youth"), lo, Kraipale, Lilaia, Mainas, Makaria ("Blessed"), Molpe ("Song"), Myro, Naia, Nymphaia, Nymphe,
Opora Pora! (), meaning ''"It's time!"'' in Ukrainian, is a civic youth organization (Black Pora!) and political party in Ukraine ( Yellow Pora!) espousing nonviolent resistance and advocating increased national democracy. The group was established i ...
("Harvest"), Oinanthe, Oreias ("Mountain-Nymph"), Paidia,
Pannychis Pannychis (, ), from Greek words ('all, every') and ('night'), may refer to: *An all-night feast or ceremony of the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries *Pannychis, a courtesan given by the Jewish king Herod the Great to the king of Cappodocia as thanks ...
("All-night Revel"), Periklymene ("Renowned"), Phanope,
Philomela Philomela () or Philomel (; , ; ) is a minor figure in Greek mythology who is frequently invoked as a direct and figurative symbol in literary and artistic works in the Western canon. Family Philomela was the younger of two daughters of P ...
, Polyerate ("Well-beloved"), Rodo ("Rose"),
Sime Sime is a surname which traces back to the Clan Fraser, and the name ''Shimidh'', Gaelic for Simon. Notable people with the surname include: * Abrham Sime, Ethiopian runner * Alemu Sime, Ethiopian politician * Charlie Sime, Australian rules footba ...
("Snub-nose"), Terpsikome,
Thaleia ''Thaleia '' is a genus of very small ectoparasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the Eulimidae family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) ...
, Tragoedia ("Tragedy") and
Xantho ''Xantho'' is a genus of crabs in the family Xanthidae, containing five extant species, all restricted to the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, although ''Xantho granulicarpis'' is not universally recognised as a separate species f ...
("Fair-hair").


List of maenads in Dionysiaca

Eighteen maenads are named in Dionysiaca of Nonnus of Panopolis:


In art

Maenads have been depicted in art as erratic and frenzied women enveloped in a drunken rapture, as in
Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...
' play ''
The Bacchae ''The Bacchae'' (; , ''Bakkhai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthumou ...
''. In Euripides' play and other art forms and works, the frenzied dances of the god are direct manifestations of euphoric possession, and these worshippers, sometimes by eating the flesh of a man or animal who has temporarily incarnated the god, come to partake of his divinity. Depictions of maenads are often found on both
red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
and
black-figure Black-figure pottery painting (also known as black-figure style or black-figure ceramic; ) is one of the styles of Ancient Greek vase painting, painting on pottery of ancient Greece, antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th a ...
Greek pottery, statues, and jewelry. Also, fragments of reliefs of female worshipers of Dionysus have been discovered at
Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
. Mark W. Edwards in his paper "Representation of Maenads on Archaic Red-Figure Vases" traces the evolution of maenad depictions on red figure vases. Edwards distinguishes between "nymphs," which appear earlier on Greek pottery, and "maenads," which are identified by their characteristic fawnskin or ''nebris'' and often carry snakes in their hands. However, Edwards does not consider the actions of the figures on the pottery to be a distinguishing characteristic for differentiation between maenads and nymphs. Rather, the differences or similarities in their actions are more striking when comparing black figure and red figure pottery, as opposed to maenads and nymphs. File:Jean Metzinger, 1906, La dance (Bacchante), oil on canvas, 73 x 54 cm DSC05359...jpg,
Jean Metzinger Jean Dominique Antony Metzinger (; 24 June 1883 – 3 November 1956) was a major 20th-century French painter, theorist, writer, critic and poet, who along with Albert Gleizes wrote the first theoretical work on Cubism. His earliest works, from 1 ...
, 1906, ''
La danse, Bacchante ''La danse'' (also known as ''Bacchante'') is an oil painting created circa 1906 by the French artist and theorist Jean Metzinger (1883–1956). ''Bacchante'' is a pre-Cubist or Proto-Cubist work executed in a highly personal Divisionist style ...
'', oil on canvas, 73 x 54 cm. The subject of maenads remained popular in the arts at least into the early 20th century File:Fragment Maenad Louvre G160.jpg, Maenad carrying a hind, fragment of an
Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building. It is also known as a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because they fill the space between the ceiling of a building's t ...
red figure Red-figure pottery () is a style of Pottery of ancient Greece, ancient Greek pottery in which the background of the pottery is painted black while the figures and details are left in the natural red or orange color of the clay. It developed in A ...
cup ca. 480 BC,
Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
. File:Terracotta dancing maenad MET 12.232.13.png, Ancient Greek terracotta statuette of a dancing maenad, 3rd century BC, from
Taranto Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans ...
. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. File:NAMA - Statue of a sleeping Maenad 04.jpg, Statue of a sleeping Maenad, lying on a panther skin spread on a rocky surface; the type is known as the reclining Hermaphrodite;
Pentelic Mount Pentelicus or Pentelikon (, or ) is a mountain in Attica, Greece, situated northeast of Athens and southwest of Marathon. Its highest point is the peak ''Pyrgari'', with an elevation of 1,109 m. The mountain is covered in large part wi ...
marble; found at the south of the
Athenian Acropolis The Acropolis of Athens (; ) is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens, Greece, and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the P ...
;
Hadrian Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...
ic time (117–138 AD), follows a classical trend in Attic art;
National Archaeological Museum, Athens The National Archaeological Museum () in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and ...
. File:Ring maenad Louvre Bj1052.jpg, Ring with the engraved representation of a maenad. Ancient Greek artwork, 3rd–2nd century BC.
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, Paris. File:Maenad and Cupid MAN Napoli Inv110591.jpg, Maenad and
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...
, fresco from
Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...
, 1st century AD File:Ménade danzante, Casa del Naviglio, Pompeya.jpg, A Roman fresco from
Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...
showing a maenad in silk dress, 1st century AD File:Pompeii - Casa del Criptoportico - Maenad.jpg, Roman fresco of a maenad from the Casa del Criptoportico in
Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...
. File:Lens, Cornelis - Tanz der Mänaden.jpg, ''Dance of the Maenads'' by
Andries Cornelis Lens Andries Cornelis Lens or André Corneille Lens (Antwerp, 31 March 1739 – Brussels, 30 March 1822)Andries Lens
at th ...
File:John Reinhard Weguelin – A Bacchante.jpg, ''A Bacchante'' by
John Reinhard Weguelin John Reinhard Weguelin (23 June 1849 – 28 April 1927) was an English painter and illustrator, active from 1877 to after 1910. He specialized in figurative paintings with lush backgrounds, typically landscapes or garden scenes. Weguelin emulat ...
File:A Bacchante by William Etty YORAG 688.jpg, ''A Bacchante'' by
William Etty William Etty (10 March 1787 – 13 November 1849) was an English artist best known for his history paintings containing nude figures. He was the first significant British painter of nudes and still lifes. Born in York, he left sch ...
File:Bacchante by Frederick William MacMonnies 1894 Brooklyn Museum.jpg, ''Bacchante'' by Frederick William MacMonnies, 1894.
Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...
File:Female Bacchante, shape 1441 Worcester Royal Porcelain Co.1898.jpg, ''Female Bacchante'' by
Royal Worcester Royal Worcester is a porcelain brand based in Worcester, England. It was established in 1751 and is believed to be the oldest or second oldest remaining English porcelain brand still in existence today, although this is disputed by Royal Crown ...
, 1898.
Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...
File:Maenad and the Panther by Ernst Julius Hähnel 1886, Albertinum, Dresden.jpg, ''The Maenad and the Panther'' by
Ernst Julius Hähnel Ernst Julius Hähnel (9 March 1811 – 22 May 1891) was a German sculptor and Professor at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts. He is especially remembered for his public statuary. His works of art can be admired throughout Germany. Life He w ...
, 1886.
Albertinum The Albertinum () is a modern art museum. The sandstone-clad Renaissance Revival architecture, Renaissance Revival building is located on Brühl's Terrace in the historic center of Dresden, Germany. It is named after King Albert, King of Saxony, A ...
, Dresden File:En bacchantinde på en søtiger (1839).jpg, ''A Bacchante on a Sea Tiger'' (1839) by
Christen Købke Christen Schiellerup Købke (26 May 1810 – 7 February 1848) was a Danish painter, and one of the best-known artists from the Golden Age of Danish Painting. Childhood and early training He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was one of 11 ...
, based on the mural ''Nereide su pantera marina'' from
Villa Arianna A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fal ...
,
Stabiae Stabiae () was an ancient city situated near the modern town of Castellammare di Stabia and approximately 4.5 km (2.79 miles) southwest of Pompeii. Like Pompeii, and being only from Mount Vesuvius, it was largely buried by tephra ash in ...
.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli The National Archaeological Museum of Naples (, ) is an important Italian archaeological museum. Its collection includes works from Greek, Roman and Renaissance times, and especially Roman artifacts from the nearby Pompeii, Stabiae and Herculan ...
. File:Bacchante and Fauns MA I080881 TePapa.jpg, ''Maenad and
Faun The faun (, ; , ) is a half-human and half-goat mythological creature appearing in Greek and Roman mythology. Originally fauns of Roman mythology were ghosts ( genii) of rustic places, lesser versions of their chief, the god Faunus. Before t ...
s'', 1902–1912, by
Isobel Lilian Gloag Isobel Lilian Gloag (1865–1917) was an English Victorian painter, known for her oil and watercolour portraits, as well as posters and stained-glass designs. Biography Gloag was born in London, the daughter of Scottish parents from Perthshire. ...
. File:Mosaic depicting female Tibi'cina (tibia player) from House of Dionysus in Volubilis Morocco, modified for color 3.jpg, Mosaic depicting female Tibi'cina (
tibia The tibia (; : tibiae or tibias), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two Leg bones, bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outsi ...
player) from House of Dionysus in Volubilis Morocco, part of the Roman Empire. File:Maenad with Tibia and Satyr.jpg, A tibia-playing maenad dancing with a satyr, part of the Dionysosmosaik, a mosaic in the "Römisch-Germanisches Museum" in Cologne, Germany. File:Triumph of Bacchus - Sousse (details of Maenad playing tympanum).jpg, 3rd century A.D., Tunisia (Roman Empire). Maenad playing a tympanum.


References in modern culture

A maenad appears in
Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame durin ...
's poem "
Ode to the West Wind "Ode to the West Wind" is an ode, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1819 in arno wood near Florence, Italy. It was originally Publishing, published in 1820 by Charles Ollier in London as part of the collection ''Prometheus Unbound (Shelley), P ...
". Maenads, along with
Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
and
Silenus In Greek mythology, Silenus (; , ) was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue ('' thiasos''), and sometimes considerably older, in which case he may be referred to as a Pa ...
, appear in
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
' ''
Prince Caspian ''Prince Caspian'' (originally published as ''Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia'') is a high fantasy novel written by British author C. S. Lewis and published by Geoffrey Bles in 1951. It was the second published of seven novels in ''The C ...
''. They are portrayed as wild, fierce girls who dance and perform somersaults. ''
The Bassarids ''The Bassarids'' (in German: ') is an opera in one act and an intermezzo, with music by Hans Werner Henze to an English libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, after Euripides's ''The Bacchae''. The conflict in the opera is between huma ...
'' (composed 1964–65, premiered 1966), to a libretto by
W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, ...
and
Chester Kallman Chester Simon Kallman (January 7, 1921 – January 18, 1975) was an American poet, librettist, and translator, best known for collaborating with W. H. Auden on opera librettos for Igor Stravinsky and other composers. Life Kallman was born in B ...
, is the most famous opera composed by
Hans Werner Henze Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large List of compositions by Hans Werner Henze, oeuvre is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Igor Stravinsky, Stravinsky, Mu ...
. Maenads are the adopted symbol of
Tetovo Tetovo (, ; , sq-definite, Tetova) is a city in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena (river), Pena River. The municipality of Tetovo covers an area of at above sea level, wit ...
in
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
, depicted prominently of the city's
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
. The inclusion of maenad imagery dates to 1932 when a small statuette of a maenad, dating to the 6th century BC, was found in the city. The "Tetovo Maenad" was featured on the reverse of a Macedonian 5000
denar The denar (; paucal: denari / ; Currency symbol, abbreviation: den / ; ISO 4217, ISO code: MKD) is the currency of North Macedonia. Though subdivided into one hundred deni (), coins with a denomination of less than one denar have not been in ...
banknote issued in 1996.National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
Macedonian currency. Banknotes in circulation
5000 Denars
. – Retrieved on 30 March 2009.


See also

*
Anthesteria The Anthesteria (; ) was one of the four Athenian festivals in honor of Dionysus. It was held each year from the 11th to the 13th of the month of Anthesterion, around the time of the January or February full moon. The three days of the feast were ...
*
Cult of Dionysus The cult of Dionysus consisted of devotees who involved themselves in forms of ecstatic worship in reverence of Dionysus. An ecstatic ritual performed by the cult included the '' orgeia,'' a forest rite involving ecstatic dance during the night ...
*
Gerarai ''Gerarai'' (), also known by the latinized form ''Gerarae'', were priestesses ( Hiereiai) of Dionysus in ancient Greek religion. They presided over sacrifices and participated in the festivals of Theoinia and Iobaccheia that took place during ...
*
Minyades The Minyades () were three Orchomenian ( Arcadian) princesses in Greek mythology. These sisters were protagonists of a myth about the perils of neglecting the worship of Dionysus. Names and family The names of the Minyades were Alcathoe (or ...


Notes


References

*
Apollodorus Apollodorus ( Greek: Ἀπολλόδωρος ''Apollodoros'') was a popular name in ancient Greece. It is the masculine gender of a noun compounded from Apollo, the deity, and doron, "gift"; that is, "Gift of Apollo." It may refer to: :''Note: A ...
, ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
*
Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (;  1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...
, '' The Library of History'' translated by
Charles Henry Oldfather Charles Henry Oldfather (13 June 1887 – 20 August 1954) was an American professor of Greek and Ancient History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was born in Tabriz, Qajar dynasty, Persia. Parentage Oldfather's parents, Jeremiah and Feli ...
. Twelve volumes.
Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a monographic series of books originally published by Heinemann and since 1934 by Harvard University Press. It has bilingual editions of ancient Greek and Latin literature, ...
. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8
Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
*
Hyginus Hyginus may refer to: People *Hyginus, the author of the '' Fabulae'', an important ancient Latin source for Greek mythology. *Hyginus, the author of the ''Astronomia'', a popular ancient Latin guide on astronomy, probably the same as the author ...
, ''Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
*
Hyginus Hyginus may refer to: People *Hyginus, the author of the '' Fabulae'', an important ancient Latin source for Greek mythology. *Hyginus, the author of the ''Astronomia'', a popular ancient Latin guide on astronomy, probably the same as the author ...
, ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
*
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
, ''The Iliad'' with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Homer, ''Homeri Opera'' in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
*
Nonnus of Panopolis Nonnus of Panopolis (, ''Nónnos ho Panopolítēs'', 5th century AD) was the most notable Greek epic poet of the Imperial Roman era. He was a native of Panopolis (Akhmim) in the Egyptian Thebaid and probably lived in the 5th century AD. He is ...
, ''
Dionysiaca The ''Dionysiaca'' (, ''Dionysiaká'') is an ancient Greek epic poem and the principal work of Nonnus. It is an epic in 48 books, the longest surviving poem from Greco-Roman antiquity at 20,426 lines, composed in Homeric dialect and dactylic hex ...
'' translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940.
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Nonnus of Panopolis, ''Dionysiaca. 3 Vols.'' W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940–1942
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library


Further reading

* Abel, Ernest L. (2006). ''Intoxication in Mythology: A Worldwide Dictionary of Gods, Rites, Intoxicants, and Place''. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers. * Behnk, Judith (2009). ''Dionysos und seine Gefolgschaft: Weibliche Besessenheitskulte in der griechischen Antike'' ionysus and his followers: female obsession cults in Greek antiquity Hamburg, . * Bremmer, Jan N. (1984). "Greek Maenadism reconsidered." ''
Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik The (commonly abbreviated ZPE; "Journal of Papyrology and Epigraphy") is a peer-reviewed academic journal which contains articles that pertain to papyrology and epigraphy. It has been described as "the world's leading and certainly most prolific ...
'' 55, pp. 267–286. * Edwards, Mark W. "Representation of Maenads on Archaic Red-Figure Vases." ''The Journal of Hellenistic Studies'' 80 (1960): 78–87. * Henrichs, Albert (1978). "Greek Maenadism from Olympias to Messalina." ''
Harvard Studies in Classical Philology ''Harvard Studies in Classical Philology'' (''HSCPh'') is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering topics in philology and classical studies, published annually. It was established in 1890 and is published by Harvard University Press. The journal ...
'' 82, pp. 121–160. * Manheim, Ralph (translator) (1976). ''Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life''. Bollingen Series LXV 2; Princeton University Press. * Mikalson, Jon D. (2005). ''Ancient Greek Religion''. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. * Moraw, Susanne (1998). ''Die Mänade in der attischen Vasenmalerei des 6. und 5. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.''
he maenad in Attic vase painting of the 6th and 5th centuries BC. He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter call ...
Mainz: von Zabern, . * Morford, Mark P.O., and Lenardon, Robert J. (2003). ''Classical Mythology'', 7th ed. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. * Otto, Walter F. (1965). ''Dionysus: Myth and Cult''. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. * Richardson, Rufus B. "A Group of Dionsiac Sculptures from Corinth." ''American Journal of Archaeology'' 8, no.3 (July- September 1904): 288–296. * Schneider, Lambert; Seifert, Martina (2010). ''Sphinx, Amazone, Mänade. Bedrohliche Frauenbilder im antiken Mythos'' phinx, Amazon, Maenad. Threatening images of women in ancient myths Stuttgart: Theiss, . * Stähli, Adrian (1999). ''Verweigerung der Lüste. Erotische Gruppen in der antiken Plastik'' enial of the pleasures. Erotic groups in ancient sculpture Berlin: Reimer, .


External links


The Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (images of Maenads)
*

{{Authority control Companions of Dionysus Dance in Greek mythology Greek legendary creatures Nymphs