Euripides: Suppliant Women

Description

Euripides' "Suppliant Women" is an unfairly neglected master work by the most controversial of the three great tragedians of Ancient Greece. It dramatises the story of one of the proudest moments in Athenian mythical history: the intervention of Theseus in support of international law to force the burial of the Argives who were killed during their attack on Thebes. But Euripides adds new characters to the story and presents the myth in a different and sometimes ambiguous light. A sense of uncertainty and undercutting pervades this play, which dramatises the sufferings of the innocent in war and then at the end foretells more war. As well as presenting a scene-by-scene analysis, this book will discuss the date and background of the play, whether people and events from contemporary Athens can be glimpsed in the drama; the problems of staging, and finally the story in later tradition.

Ian C. Storey is Professor of Ancient History and Classics at Trent University, Ontario, Canada.

This is an excellent addition to Duckworth's series of Companions to ancient drama... I can happily recommend this as an excellent introduction to this relatively rarely read and seen play. * The Classical Bulletin (vol. 85) * Storey achieves his aims admirably, and for the most part achieves those of the series as well. At any rate, he encouraged this reviewer to read - and appreciate - Suppliant Women better. Accordingly, I recommend this introduction to anyone ready to rethink the canon, treat Suppliant Women as drama, and allow a little Euripidean ambiguity into the interpretive process. -- Simon Perris, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *