Sparagmos

Sparagmos refers to the tearing of a living animal or human as a form of sacrifice in religious ritual, especially in the cult of Dionysus.

Known human victims are:

• Orpheus torn by Thracian Maenads
• The Theban king Pentheus is torn to pieces by his own mother Agave and Ino and his aunts Autonoe in bakchantischer frenzy.
• Hippasos, son of Minyade Leukippe, which is torn by his mother and her sisters and Arsinoe Alkathoe