NCEA Level 2 | Classics | Art and Architecture | The Death of Pentheus

How big is the fresco?

104 x 104 cm

When was it created?

62 - 79 CE

Where is it located?

the House of the Vettii in Pompeii, in the Pentheus room

What is the painting style?

fourth style

What is the myth of Pentheus?

Pentheus was a king of Thebes who didn't like that the women of his city-state were partying with the young god Dionysus. Pentheus forbid the worship of Dionysus, but the women disobeyed him and went to party in the forest. Dionysus, angered by Pentheus' actions, made him follow and spy on them. When the women spotted him, Dionysus struck them with madness and they mistook him for a lion, so they tore him to pieces. His own mother, Agave, cut off his head and carried it into the city, where the madness wore off. The women are exiled.

What moment does the fresco depict (in media res)?

the climax of the story, where Pentheus has been discovered and is about to be killed

What is Pentheus' pose/movement?

- his head is tilted skywards

- his left arm/hand is raised with open fingers, as though pleading to the gods

- his right hand is on the back of his head, trying to protect it

- braced on his right knee while his left leg is awkwardly outstretched, showing that he's fallen and defeated, but still trying to stay upright and fight a little

- his body is stretched out like he's being pulled in different directions, foreshadowing how he dies

What is Pentheus wearing?

- necklace around his neck, which could indicate his wealth

- the cape is a sign that he is powerful/a king

- he is depicted mostly nude to show that he is/used to be a hero

What is Pentheus' facial expression?

he has wide eyes, showing intense pain and a prayer for help

What is Pentheus' musculature?

he has well-defined abdominal, calf, and bicep muscles, but they do him no good and the 'weak' women overpower, possibly because Dionysus is 'inside' them, making them stronger

How does the artist draw attention to Pentheus?

- he is in the centre foreground

- he is the largest

- he has darker skin

- all the women are looking at him

Why is Pentheus depicted nude?

heroes are traditionally depicted nude, so it's to show he's a fallen hero both figuratively (as he committed hubris and is no longer a hero) and literally (he has fallen down on his knees)

How many women are in the fresco?

five

Who is the woman on Pentheus' left and how can we identify here?

his mother, Agave, identified by her blue dress (dye being an indication of wealth) which makes her stand out from the other women

What is Agave's pose/movement?

- she is looking down at Pentheus

- in her left hand is a spear, and her arm is raised and bent back in a forceful throwing motion

- (the spear is tipped with leaves, a symbol of Dionysus)

- her right hand grabs Pentheus' head to hold him steady

- her right leg is on Pentheus' left leg/knee

- her left foot heel is raised, indicating forward movement

What are the women's expressions?

their expressions are blank, emotionless, calm etc., indicating that they're in a trance and not expressing the pain of the moment

What are the women wearing?

they are wearing brown dresses (except for Agave) with ivy wreathes on their heads as they were celebrating the festival

What is the woman to Pentheus' right doing?

- she is looking down at him

- her left arm is grabbing his right arm at the wrist

- her right arm is grabbing near his shoulder

- her left foot is flat

- her right foot is twisted and braced for leverage

- she is leaning back, pulling him

- she might be his aunt, Ino

What are the back three women doing?

- the ones on the left and right are climbing over rocks, holding a stick/spear in one hand

- the middle one is standing behind a rock with both arms raised, holding a rock, about to hit him

What is hubris?

excessive pride and vanity; disrespecting, dishonouring, or offending a god, which will result in punishment

How did Pentheus commit hubris?

he offended Dionysus by banning his worship

What is the political context of the fresco?

demonstrates the need for political wisdom to avoid tyranny and anarchy

How is the political context shown in the fresco?

- Pentheus' excessive and absolute control of Theban society is tyranny

- the murderous frenzy of the women is anarchy, as they rebelled against their king

- shows both tyranny and anarchy are wrong, as they are both punished

Who wrote the story of Pentheus?

Athenian playwright Euripides, in 'The Bacchae', in 405 BCE

How does the playwright use Pentheus' story as political propaganda?

he uses it to disparage tyranny and anarchy (and monarchical rule) and to instead promote democracy and autonomy during the rise of Athenian democracy

Euripides, on the women

"the whole pack of blood sisters came screaming from their dance to swarm over him"

What is Apollonian/rational nature of man?

self control, discipline, orderly

What is Dionysian/irrational nature of man?

- act for the sake of having fun

- Dionysus represents human primal law, figurehead of human emotion

- embodiment of pleasure

- out of control

How does Pentheus' story show the struggle between two natures of man?

- it depicts the struggle to the death between the forces of control and freedom, represented by Pentheus and the women

- in this story, it's saying that you have to make room for both rational and irrational rather than choosing one

- has to be space in society for irrationality for society to exist and thrive

- by denying/opposing the irrational like Pentheus, the person/society is torn apart

What is state law versus religious law?

- state law is mortal law created by kings/rulers

- religious law is unwritten rules like respecting the gods

- religious law is above state law

What is the didactic message of Pentheus' story/the fresco?

- tyranny and anarchy are bad

- don't offend the gods

- accept the rational and irrational