Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. II, 1949 Non-Christian religions Particular topics

Bacchantes

BACCANTI

Italian original Cite

BACCHANTES. - Minor Greek female divinities in the retinue of Dionysus. They were represented with loose hair, a fawnskin (nebrid) over a long robe and, in hand, the thyrsus or the cymbal or a torch or a fawn that they waved about in the frenzied movements of the bacchic dance.Euripides, in the Bacchae, has admirably described their sacred frenzy, during which they boast of making wine, milk and honey spring forth, tear men and animals to pieces and devour them. The priestesses of Dionysus are also called b., in whom we find the delirious exaltation of the mythical prototypes only slightly attenuated.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: Rapp, Maenaden, in Roscher, Lex., II, II, col. 2243 ff.; Marbach, Mainades, in Pauly-Wissowa, Realencyclop., XXVIII, col. 561 ff.; N. Turchi, Menadi, in Enc. Ital., XXII, p. 837.

Luisa Banti

About this entry

By Luisa Banti

How we know signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II (1949), col. 646.

More by Luisa Banti: Athena (Ἀθήνη) · Axe, Cult of the · Artemis (Ἀρτεμις) · Bendis and Bendidia · Ares

Cite this article

Chicago

Banti, Luisa. “Baccanti.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, col. 646. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949. https://azioneromana.com/article/baccanti.

MLA

Banti, Luisa. “Baccanti.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. II, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1949, col. 646. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/baccanti.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec2_baccanti,
  author    = {Banti, Luisa},
  title     = {Baccanti},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {II},
  pages     = {646},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1949},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/baccanti}
}

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.