On their way to Hades, Dionysus and Xanthias encounter a group of Initiates engaged in a sacrificial feast and procession to honor “Iacchus” (a deity associated with Dionysus). The Initiates perform the parodos that comprises the play’s main choral interlude. Per Heracles’s suggestion, Dionysus asks the Initiates for directions to Pluto’s palace, which they give him.
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Initiate-Chorus Character Timeline in The Frogs
The timeline below shows where the character Initiate-Chorus appears in The Frogs. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, Scene 1
...people holding torches and chanting “Iacchus, Iacchus!” Xanthias guesses that these are the Initiates (the Initiate-Chorus) that Heracles mentioned. Still hidden, Heracles and Xanthias watch the initiates sing, dance, and praise...
(full context)
After the feast, the Initiate-Chorus sings and dances to honor Persephone, Demeter, and Iacchus. Meanwhile, Dionysus and Xanthias see all...
(full context)
