Dirce was the wife of Lycus of Thebes, regent of the city. Together they ruled Thebes and held Antiope captive, until Amphion and Zethus killed them both in vengeance.
Dirce and Lycus of Thebes jointly persecuted Antiope and kept her as a captive. Lycus of Thebes had brought Antiope back from Sicyon, and Dirce subjected her to years of cruel mistreatment.
Dirce kept Antiope as a slave and tormented her for years. When Antiope escaped and her sons discovered the truth, they avenged her by tying Dirce to a wild bull.
Amphion and Zethus killed Dirce to avenge their mother Antiope's years of mistreatment. They tied her to a wild bull that dragged her to death, a scene famous in ancient art.
Dirce was a devoted follower of Dionysus and participated in his rites as a maenad on Mount Cithaeron. After her death, Dionysus transformed her body into the Spring of Dirce near Thebes.
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