Bacchae
/ˈbæk.iː/noun
The Bacchae are the female followers or worshippers of Dionysus in Greek religion and literature.
Did you know?In Greek tragedy, the Bacchae became a symbol of divine madness: women so overtaken by Dionysus that the boundary between worship, ecstasy, and terror collapses.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάκχαι (bákchai)
“Female devotees of Bacchus/Dionysus; women in ritual frenzy”
Classical Latin
Latin
Bacchae
“The Bacchic women or maenads, especially in literary and religious contexts”
Late Latin
Latin
bacchicus / bacchālis
“Pertaining to Bacchus or his rites”
Middle English
English
bacchic / bacchanal
“Relating to drunken or ecstatic revelry”
Modern English
English
Bacchae
“The female followers of Dionysus in Greek myth and drama”
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