AESCHYLUS II

— Allen J. Romano, allenjromano@gmail.com

Week 2: Reanimating a Play

The Text of Persians

The Historical Context

Persians

472 BCE

c. 534 BCE

Thespis wins prize for tragedy at City Dionysia

490

First Persian Invasion

484

Aeschylus' first victory

472

Aeschylus' Persians wins first prize (oldest tragedy still surviving to today)

480 - 479

Second Persian invasion; Plataea

470?

Persians re-performed for Hieron in Syracuse

Laius, Oedipus, Seven Against Thebes, Sphinx
The Oresteia: Agamemnon, Choephori, Eumenides, Proteus
Edonoi, Bassaridae, Neoniskoi, Lykurgos

Suspected:
Egyptians, Suppliants, Danaids, Amymone
(Iliad) Myrmidons, Nereids, Phrygians Thalamapoioi
(Odyssey) Psychagogoi, Penelope, Ostologoi, Circe
(Aethiopis) Cares, Memnon, Psychostasia
(Ajax) Decision of Arms, Thracians, Salaminians
(Dionysus) Semele, Xantriai, Pentheus, Trophoi
(Adrastus) Eleusinians, Argives, Epigonoi, Nemea
(Argonauts) Lemnians, Hypsipyle, Kabeiroi, Argo

Trilogies

〞

In [the archonship of] Meno (i.e. 472 BCE), Aeschylus won in tragedy with Phineus, Persians, Glaukos at Potnia, Prometheus (i.e. Firebearer or Unbound)

– Hypothesis to Persians

Themistocles Decree

Troizen

inscribed late 3rd century BCE

(Themistocles: c. 524 - c. 459)

Darius I ("the Great")

Persians in Context

"Darius Vase"

South Italy, c. 340-320 BCE

Fifth Century View of Persia

c. 460 BCE

Persians on Persia

Behistun Inscription, early fifth century BCE

King Darius says: These are the countries which are subject unto me, and by the grace of Ahuramazda I became king of them: Persia [Pârsa], Elam [Ûvja], Babylonia [Bâbiruš], Assyria [Athurâ], Arabia [Arabâya], Egypt [Mudrâya], the countries by the Sea [Tyaiy Drayahyâ], Lydia [Sparda], the Greeks [Yauna (Ionia)], Media [Mâda], Armenia [Armina], Cappadocia [Katpatuka], Parthia [Parthava], Drangiana [Zraka], Aria [Haraiva], Chorasmia [Uvârazmîy], Bactria [Bâxtriš], Sogdia [Suguda], Gandhara [Gadâra], Scythia [Saka], Sattagydia [Thataguš], Arachosia [Harauvatiš] and Maka [Maka]; twenty-three lands in all.