In ancient myths it always seems that for the most part mothers adore their male child and do not have the same importance for their female daughter. This, however, is not the case with Agave, mother of Pentheus. In “Bacchae,” Agave is so caught up in a curse placed on her by her nephew Dionysus that she completely loses sight of what is truly important, her son. Agave ultimately ends up cutting off her own son's head, a twist on the everyday myth. In "Demeter and Persephone", although Persephone is a woman, it seems that Demeter cares and protects her daughter more than Agave ever did for her "male" child. Agave doesn't even talk about her daughter Epirus; another clue to the importance of women in ancient myths. Unlike Agave, we have Frigg, from "Bacchae," who goes to the end of the world as Demeter to make sure they've done everything in their power to keep Balder and Persephone safe and out of danger. Frigg, Balder's mother, and Demeter, Persephone's mother, are both powerful mothers who stop at nothing to ensure the safety and protection of their children. They are to Balder and Persephone what a bear is to its cubs when someone annoys them. When it comes to being devoted, lovable, and selfless, Demeter and Frigg are better mothers than Agave. If it weren't for the way Agave mistreated her sister Semele, none of what happened to Pentheus would have happened. Because of Agave and her father, Semele was killed and Dionysus was left motherless. Upon Dionysus' return, Agave did not recognize her nephew's divinity because she did not believe he was the son of Zeus. This infuriated Dionysus and he decided to take revenge on his family to make them pay for what happened to his mother... mid-paper... old Loki about it. Agave seemed to care, but in the end all she cared about was her. The fact that she had lost her home and disappeared seemed to be more important than the loss of her son; which he got over rather quickly. Demeter goes against all odds to get her daughter back and is afraid to do nothing or face anyone who gets in her way. When it comes to being devoted, lovable, and selfless, Demeter and Frigg are better mothers than Agave. Works Cited Euripides and Paul Woodruff. Bacchae. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 1999. PrintRosenberg, Donna. "Demeter and Persephone." World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. 14-20. Print.Rosenberg, Donna. World mythology "The Death of Balder": an anthology of great myths and epics. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. 218-223. Press.