Quotes from The Bacchae

Quotations follow the Robin Robertson translation (Free Press, 2008) — our recommended edition.

1. 2

   What else is Wisdom? What of man's endeavour, or God's high grace, so lovely and so great? To stand from fear set free, to breathe and wait.

2. 3

   Dionysus: I am Dionysus, the son of Zeus, come back to Thebes, this land where I was born.

3. 4

   Cleverness is not wisdom. And to think mortal thoughts is to keep mortal company.

4. 5

   Cleverness is not wisdom. And not to think mortal thoughts is to see few days.

5. 6

   Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.

6. 7

   There are horns upon thy brow! What art thou, man or beast? For surely now the Bull is on thee!

7. 8

   Behold, God's Son is come unto this land of Thebes, even I, Dionysus, whom the brand of heaven's hot splendour lit to life.

8. 9

   And here I stand, a god incognito, disguised as man, beside the stream of Dirce and the waters of Ismenus.

9. 10

   You do not know the limits of your strength. You do not know what you do. You do not know who you are.

10. 11

    Thou knowest not what end thou seekest, nor what deed thou doest, nor what man thou art!

11. 12

    Do you want to see them sitting together on the mountainside? PENTHEUS: I'd give a lot of gold to see that sight.

12. 13

    What is wisdom? What gift of the gods is held in honor like this: to hold your hand victorious over the heads of those you hate?

13. 14

    A man, a man, and nothing more, yet he presumed to wage a war with a god.

14. 15

    Would you like to see their revels on the mountains?

15. 16

    Oh, blessèd he in all wise, who hath drunk the Living Fountain, whose life no folly staineth, and his soul is near to God.

16. 17

    We do not trifle with divinity. No, we are the heirs of customs and traditions hallowed by age and handed down to us by our fathers.

17. 18

    Whatever is god is strong; whatever long time has sanctioned, that is a law forever; the law tradition makes is the law of nature.

18. 19

    Gods should be exempt from human passions.

19. 20

    Will they ever come to me, ever again, the long long dances, on through the dark till the dim stars wane?

20. 21

    Happy he, on the weary sea who hath fled the tempest and won the haven.

21. 22

    O Strength of God, slow art thou and still, yet failest never!