Tears of Bacchus relates the story of wine in the Middle East, essentially Lebanon and Syria, from the dawn of time to the present day in the form of a linear series of essays written in various "voices"--historian, archaeologist, novelist, wine writer, journalist, curator, anthropologist. It charts wine's influence on early civilizations and cultures, religion and mythology, before heading off into the Byzantine, Medieval Ottoman and ultimately the modern era, an age defined by strife and instability. With an introduction by Hugh Johnson.

This extract from Ovid's 'Theban History' recounts the confrontation of Pentheus, king of Thebes, with his divine cousin, Bacchus, the god of wine. Notwithstanding the warnings of the seer Tiresias and the cautionary tale of a character Acoetes (perhaps Bacchus in disguise), who tells of how the god once transformed a group of blasphemous sailors into dolphins, Pentheus refuses to acknowledge the divinity of Bacchus or allow his worship at Thebes. Enraged, yet curious to witness the orgiastic rites of the nascent cult, Pentheus conceals himself in a grove on Mt. Cithaeron near the locus of the ceremonies. But in the course of the rites he is spotted by the female participants who rush upon him in a delusional frenzy, his mother and sisters in the vanguard, and tear him limb from limb.The episode abounds in themes of abiding interest, not least the clash between the authoritarian personality of Pentheus, who embodies 'law and order', masculine prowess, and the martial ethos of his city, and Bacchus, a somewhat effeminate god of orgiastic excess, who revels in the delusional and the deceptive, the transgression of boundaries, and the blurring of gender distinctions.This course book offers a wide-ranging introduction, the original Latin text, study aids with vocabulary, and an extensive commentary. Designed to stretch and stimulate readers, Gildenhard and Zissos's incisive commentary will be of particular interest to students of Latin at AS and undergraduate level. It extends beyond detailed linguistic analysis to encourage critical engagement with Ovid's poetry and discussion of the most recent scholarly thought. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

She’s beautiful. And she knows it. Persephone is the embodiment of all that is Woman. Grace, poise, power, looks. Men and women alike fall over themselves to be near her. The obedient and dutiful daughter of the Great Goddess Demeter. But behind that perfect façade, Persephone has a most evil plan. And what she will do, and who she will use to achieve it will shock the Ancient World. The story of a foolish, young boy with dreams of bigger things for his life and his enduring and troublesome obsession to help his beloved, Tales of the Bacchae: Queen of the Dead is a fast-paced retelling of childhood myths that will lead the reader on a romp through the mortal realm and the deep, dark caverns of the ancient Underworld. Meeting friends and enemies along the way, we watch for what it will take to defeat the cunning desires of one of the most ruthless beings the world has ever seen.