This contemporary retelling of Euripides' The Bacchae - the last extant Greek tragedy - relates the classic myth of the god Dionysus wrecking vengeance on Thebes, the city of his birth and site of his mortal mother Semele's horrible death. Dionysus brings an army of women into the mountains surrounding the city and casts a spell over the city's own female population, leading them to abandon their husbands, sons, and fathers and to follow the god into the countryside and engage in his forbidden revels. Pentheus, king of Thebes, leads an army against the god, only to be defeated in battle and, as he secretly watches the revels, to be torn limb from limb by the frenzied Bacchae. Original illustrations silk-screened on handmade paper accompany the story. This unique handcrafted book will be a treasured addition to the libraries of those who love the arts of ancient Greece and the art of fine, contemporary bookmaking. J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM