Aristophanes is best remembered (by me) for travestying Socrates and Euripides in his plays. Much as I dislike his buffoonery, he might provide an interesting study of the irrational national sentiments and the sway of public opinion. He raises two issues which are quite relevant today: 1. How does art influence morality and vice versa? 2. How does rationality influence morality? The Frogs was performed at the Festivals of Dionysus […]
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“Rhesus” by Euripides
Rhesus, King of Thrace, came to the aid of Hector near the end of the Trojay War, claiming that he would destroy the Greeks in one day though the Trojans had failed to defeat them after ten years. Ironically, he was killed in his sleep on that same day by Odysseus and Diomedes, who spied on the Trojan camp and stole his precious horses. His death caused distrust and strife […]
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“Alcestis” by Euripides
Admetus was spared by Death on condition that he could find a substitute. No one, not even his own parents were willing to die in his stead, but only his wife, Alcestis, offered to die for him. It may be worth noting that the life of a woman was valued far less than that of a man in ancient Greek culture. I cannot fully sympathize with Admetus when he grieves […]
Read more“Cyclops” by Euripides
Life of a Satyr Just keep pouring the wine. Never mind the gold. I would like to drink down a single cup of this wine, giving all the Cyclopes’ flocks in exchange for it, and then to leap from the Leucadian cliff into the brine, good and drunk with my eyebrows smoothed out. The man who does not enjoy drinking is mad: in drink one can raise this to a […]
Read more“Iphigenia in Tauris” by Euripides
Iphigenia “From the beginning my fate was unhappy, from that first night of my mother’s marriage; from the beginning the Fates attendant on my birth directed a hard upbringing for me, wooed by Hellenes, the first-born child in the home, whom the unhappy daughter of Leda, by my father’s fault, bore as a victim and a sacrifice not joyful, she brought me up as an offering. … My father too, […]
Read more“Ion” by Euripides
Apollo raped Creusa, a young princess of Athens, who gave birth to Ion in secret and in shame and fear exposed the infant to die. Apollo arranged to have the baby brought to his temple in Delphi and raised by his priestess. Creusa, now married to Xuthus but remained childless, came to Delphi with her husband to inquire of the oracle. While writing an intriguing story of love, abandonment, treachery, […]
Read more“Helen” by Euripides
The Real Cause of the Trojan War Hera, indignant at not defeating the goddesses, made an airy nothing of Helen’s marriage with Paris; she gave to the son of King Priam not Helen, but an image, alive and breathing, that she fashioned out of the sky and made to look like Helen; and Paris thinks he has Helen—an idle fancy, for he doesn’t have her. And in turn the plans […]
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