Her situation is in notable contrast to the hopeless defeated lives around her. Cassandra, not yet raped, and knowing all that will come ahead, makes an appears, as does Andromache, who still has her and Hector's son. Hecabe, queen of Troy, morning the loss of her husband and most of her children, including Hector, is the focus as she looks ahead to her future life of slavery. The Trojan women have lost their luxury, their sons and husbands and any hope for the future. We sense, along with Ion, a great deal of uncomfortable doubt as the play closes.Ī really sad play set in Troy just after its fall. Even Athena's appearance does not really help. Ion is quite a lovely character, but the more he learns the less he can be certain of. But the heart of this story seems to an exploration of truth and how to deal with its uncertainty. Creusa's are told as if they are the tragic story of her close friend. The play has many comic elements, such as when Ion and Creusa first meet and, not knowing who each other are, tell their parallel stories. In the ritual process, her husband, Xuthus, is told that Ion is his own son and Creusa and Xuthus take him home to Athens to be their heir. Years later Creusa comes to Delphi to ask Apollo about her son. Ion is raised in Delphi by Apollo worshipers and becomes and attendant at the temple. Fathered by Apollo, his mother, Creusa, abandons him, then later becomes wife of the ruler of Athens, and barren. I can't recall how I know the story of Ion, but it must be somewhat common knowledge. Euripides left Athens late in life, retiring in Macedonia.

Athenian citizens would struggle during the long wars with Sparta, especially during the last tens years, and Athens eventually lost in 404 bce. This meant he lived through Athens 50 years of Greek dominance that lasted from roughly the battle of Salamis in 480 to the beginning of the Peloponnesian war in 431. They are also largely anti-war statements, a reflection of his times.Įuripides lived from c. In sum, these are complex and interesting works that deserve multiple readings.but I have only read them once so far. They are more dynamic, they keep the reader/viewer entertained, and still, there is so much going on behind the words that is completely counter to what is overtly being said. His play structure no longer feels like a selection of long dull monologues that only affect in sum, and that are entirely disturbing. His understated satire is still prominent, but has become much more sophisticated and not entirely negative. They show a lot of developed complexity compared to the collection of earlier plays I read previously. Translated by Philip Vellacott, 1954, revised 1973įormat: 249 page Penguin Classics paperback The Bacchae and Other Plays : Ion, The Women of Troy, Helen, The Bacchae by Euripides

The bacchae