AESCHYLUS
— Allen J. Romano, allenjromano@gmail.com
Week 1: How To Read Tragedy
Tragedy Today
Tragic Theater
Music and Dance
κατολοφύρομαι, κατολοφύρομαι
ματέρος αἷμα σᾶς, ὅ σ’ ἀναβακχεύει,
ὁ μέγας ὄλβος οὐ μόνιμος ἐν βροτοῖς,
ἀνὰ δὲ λαῖφος ὥς τις ἀκάτου θοᾶς τινάξας δαίμων
κατέκλυσεν δεινῶν πόνων ὡς πόντου
λάβροις ὀλεθρίοισιν ἐν κύμασιν
I cry, I cry, your mother’s blood that drives you mad, great happiness in mortals never lasting, but like a sail of a swift ship, which a god shook up and plunged it with terrible troubles into the greedy and deadly waves of sea. (Eur. Orestes 338-344)
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
462
Ephialtes' reforms (i.e. radical democracy)
How do you imagine Greek tragedy?
a.
b.
c.
d.
1a
Origins
〞
<Tragedy> arising from improvisation -- both it and comedy, tragedy from those who "led off the dithyramb," comedy from those <who led off> the phallic songs... grew gradually as they developed each aspect that came to light; and after going through many changes, it stopped when it attained its proper nature.
– Aristotle, c. 330 BCE
〞
Arion ... is said to have been the inventor of the tragic style, and to have been the first to organize a chorus, sing a dithyramb, and give a title to what the chorus sang, and the first to introduce satyrs speaking verses.
– Suda, s.v. Arion, c. 1000 CE
Arion
fl. c. 628/4 BCE
(image: 17th century, Arion with dolphins)
〞
For I know how to lead off (exarxai) the beautiful dithyramb song of the lord Dionysus, my mind blasted by wine
– Archilochus, mid 7th century BCE
1b
Form
1c
Plot
〞
...Also as to <tragedy's> greatness, starting with insignificant plots and ludicrous diction because it was transformed from satyr <performance?> it was late in becoming serious...
– Aristotle, c. 330 BCe
1d
Audience
Part 2
Aeschylus Emerges
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
462
Ephialtes' reforms (i.e. radical democracy)
Thespis
What we know about the fist tragedian
Aeschylus' Predecessors
competed in 499 with Aeschylus
Pratinas
competed in 499 with Aeschylus
Choerilus
Capture of Miletus mentioned by Herodotus
Phrynichus
〞
In this struggle [Marathon] . . . Cynegeirus son of Euphorion seized hold of an enemy ship by the sternpost, and fell when his hand was severed by an axe.
– Herdotus, 6.114
- ~ 80 plays
- 7 survive
- won 13 (or 28) victories
- Aristotle: Aeschylus introduced the second actor
- before 425 BCE: decree that anyone could stage revivals of Aeschylus plays
- already a classic in his own time
- compared to Sophocles and Euripides, least popular/copied/known from 300 BCE to the Renaissance
By the numbers
499 BCE
Aeschylus' debut (or 496)
484 BCE
Aeschylus first victory
472
Persians; Phrynichus dies the year before
458
Oresteia, only surviving trilogy
476 - 470?
Aeschylus invited to Syracuse by Hieron
456/5
Death of Aeschylus
- 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
Marathon, Athenian Burial Mound
〞
At Gela, rich in wheat, he died, and lies beneath this stone;
Aeschylus the Athenian, son of Euphorion.
His valor, tried and proved, the mead of Marathon can tell,
The long-haired Persian also, who knows it all too well.
– epitaph in Lives
Aeschylus
Behind the Beard