AESCHYLEAN TRAGEDY SECOND EDITION ALAN H SOMMERSTEIN B S B RY
Bloomsbury Academic print of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London WC1B 3DP NY1001 USA ww.bloomsbury.com First published in 2010 by Bristol Classical Press an imprint of Gerald Duckworth Co Ltd printed by Bristol Classical Press 2012 Reprinted by Bloomsbury Academic 2013 O Alan H Sommerstein, 2010 Alan H Sommerstein has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents act. 1988. to be identified as author of this work All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by bloomsbury or the author British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: PB. 78-0-7156-3824-8 Epub:978-1-8496-67968 Epdf:978-1-8496-6795-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the library of Congress
Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com First published in 2010 by Bristol Classical Press an imprint of Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd. Reprinted by Bristol Classical Press 2012 Reprinted by Bloomsbury Academic 2013 © Alan H Sommerstein, 2010 Alan H Sommerstein has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identi! ed as Author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: PB: 978-0-7156-3824-8 E-pub: 978-1-8496-6796-8 E-pdf: 978-1-8496-6795-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
Contents Preface Second edition First edition Note to 1. The life and Times of Aeschylus 2. Aeschylus'Theatre 2.1. The performing space 2.2. Performers and properties 2.3. The spectators 3. The Tetralogy Appendix: Scenes, time intervals and choruses in Aeschylean trilogies 4. The persians 4.1. The play 4.2. The tetralogy The Theban Plays 5. 1. Seven against Thebes 5.2. Steps to catastrophe 5. 3. Character and curse 5.4. Oikos and polis 5.5. The tetralogy 5.6. The ending of Seven 6. The Danaid Play 6. 1. The Suppliant maidens 6.2. The tetralogy 100 6.3. Lyrical tragedy? 6.4. Movement and spectacle 112 6.5.1o 114
Contents Preface to the Second Edition viii Preface to the First Edition ix Note to the Reader x 1. The Life and Times of Aeschylus 1 2. Aeschylus’ Theatre 17 2.1. The performing space 17 2.2. Performers and properties 23 2.3. The spectators 28 3. The Tetralogy 32 Appendix: Scenes, time intervals and choruses in Aeschylean trilogies 42 4. The Persians 45 4.1. The play 45 4.2. The tetralogy 62 5. The Theban Plays 68 5.1. Seven against Thebes 68 5.2. Steps to catastrophe 72 5.3. Character and curse 76 5.4. Oikos and polis 80 5.5. The tetralogy 84 5.6. The ending of Seven 90 6. The Danaid Plays 96 6.1. The Suppliant Maidens 96 6.2. The tetralogy 100 6.3. Lyrical tragedy? 108 6.4. Movement and spectacle 112 6.5. Io 114 v
Contents 7. The Oresteia 7.1. Agamemnon 7. 2. Choephoroi 125 7. 3. Eumenides 131 7.4. Aeschylus and his predecessors 136 7. 5 Metre and music 7.6. Visual dimensions 154 7. 6.1. The house 7.6.2. Tableaux and scene changes 157 7.6.3. Clothing 15 7.6.4. Weapons and implement 162 7.6.5. Silent performers 165 7.6.6. The murder scene in Choephorot 167 7.7. Imagery 171 7. 8. Male and female 7. 9. Justice and the gods 193 7.10.A tale of three cities 204 8. The Prometheus Plays 8. 1. Prometheus bound 213 8.2. Structure, logic and action 215 8.3. Problems of staging 221 8.4. The Prometheus trilogy? 224 8.5. The question of authenticity 228 9. Aeschylean Satyr-drama 10. Slices from Homeric feasts 241 10.1. The Iliadic tetralogy 242 10.2. The Odyssean tetralogy 249 11. Aeschylus, the gods and the World 254 11.1. Puppets of the gods? 254 11.2. Agamemnons dilemma 11.3. Maradona and Farmer ones 11.4. Niobe and divine malevolence 115. The ultimate realities behind the universe 11.6. Evolutionary theology 12. Aeschylean Drama and the Political moment 12.1. Eumenides and 459/8 12.2. The Suppliant maidens 289 12.3. The persians and 473/2 12.4. Aeschylus, prophet of democracy 294
7. The Oresteia 121 7.1. Agamemnon 121 7.2. Choephoroi 125 7.3. Eumenides 131 7.4. Aeschylus and his predecessors 136 7.5. Metre and music 146 7.6. Visual dimensions 154 7.6.1. The house 154 7.6.2. Tableaux and scene changes 157 7.6.3. Clothing 159 7.6.4. Weapons and implements 162 7.6.5. Silent performers 165 7.6.6. The murder scene in Choephoroi 167 7.7. Imagery 171 7.8. Male and female 181 7.9. Justice and the gods 193 7.10. A tale of three cities 204 8. The Prometheus Plays 213 8.1. Prometheus Bound 213 8.2. Structure, logic and action 215 8.3. Problems of staging 221 8.4. The Prometheus trilogy? 224 8.5. The question of authenticity 228 9. Aeschylean Satyr-drama 235 10. Slices from Homeric Feasts 241 10.1. The Iliadic tetralogy 242 10.2. The Odyssean tetralogy 249 11. Aeschylus, the Gods and the World 254 11.1. Puppets of the gods? 254 11.2. Agamemnon’s dilemma 258 11.3. Maradona and Farmer Jones 262 11.4. Niobe and divine malevolence 267 11.5. The ultimate realities behind the universe 270 11.6. Evolutionary theology 274 12. Aeschylean Drama and the Political Moment 281 12.1. Eumenides and 459/8 281 12.2. The Suppliant Maidens 289 12.3. The Persians and 473/2 292 12.4. Aeschylus, prophet of democracy 294 Contents vi
Contents 13. Of An Age, or For All Time? 302 13. 1. War and Peace 30 13.2. Gender and hybris 13.3. Justice deterrence and retribution 309 13.4. The good society 315 317 Bibliographical Guide 319 References Index of Passages Cited 349 General Index 365
13. Of An Age, or For All Time? 302 13.1. War and Peace 302 13.2. Gender and hybris 307 13.3. Justice, deterrence and retribution 309 13.4. The good society 315 Genealogies 317 Bibliographical Guide 319 References 329 Index of Passages Cited 349 General Index 365 Contents vii