The story here is a brutal one, but then the Greek gods were not really known for their beneficence. Hardly. Smoting was more common than not. This is the story of the god Dionysus taking revenge on his mother's family for not believing that the father of her baby was Zeus. Semele, Dionysus' mother was the victim of Hera's revenge (since she wasn't powerful enough to take out physical revenge on Zeus, she made do with eithering cursing, killing, or tricking his consorts in ways that hurt Zeus emotionally). Her family ruled Thebes, and at the time that Dionysus returns, his cousin Pentheus is the king. Pentheus' sin is impiety--he refuses to see the writing on the wall, that Dionysus is indeed a god, and that Semele was telling the truth. His mother and aunts go off to join the bacchantes, as does his grandfather, but no amount of family pressure or miracles moves him, and he is tragically killed by his mother as a result. I am telling you, these Greek gods show no mercy. Cadmus, who is Dionysus' grandfather as well as Pentheus', says it best--Pentheus had to be punished, but the punishment fell to the whole family, and that was a bit over the top. Dionysus was not known for his sense of proportion--after all, he is the god of wine and enjoyment, but he was not an easy going god--do not piss him off.
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