Pentheus

British  

/ ˈpɛnθɪəs /

noun

1. Greek myth the grandson of Cadmus and his successor as king of Thebes, who resisted the introduction of the cult of Dionysus. In revenge the god drove him mad and he was torn to pieces by a group of bacchantes, one of whom was his mother

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Example Sentences

King Pentheus becomes Stavros, a wealthy, controlling figure married for decades to Hedy, Lena’s best friend.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2025

The stiff family of King Pentheus of Thebes gathers around a dinner table, in outrageously camp makeup and costumes, and await the arrival of a meteor that might destroy the earth.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2023

That meteor turns out to be Dionysus, the god who appears in Euripides’s play to punish Pentheus and his relatives for claiming that Dionysus is not the son of Zeus.

From New York Times • Jun. 13, 2023

In the living room, known as the Hall of Pentheus, a fresco depicts Hercules as a child, crushing two snakes, in an illustration of an episode from the Greek hero’s life.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2023

Pentheus ordered his guards to seize and imprison the visitors, especially the leader, “whose face is flushed with wine, a cheating sorcerer from Lydia.”

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton