The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy (Volume 2) : Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides

The surviving works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides have been familiar to readers and theatregoers for centuries; but these works are far outnumbered by their lost plays. Between them these authors wrote around two hundred tragedies, the fragmentary remains of which are utterly fascinating. In this, the second volume of a major new survey of the tragic genre, Matthew Wright offers an authoritative critical guide to the lost plays of the three best-known tragedians. (The other Greek tragedians and their work are discussed in Volume 1: Neglected Authors .) What can we learn about the lost plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides from fragments and other types of evidence? How can we develop strategies or methodologies for 'reading' lost plays? Why were certain plays preserved and transmitted while others disappeared from view? Would we have a different impression of the work of these classic authors – or of Greek tragedy as a whole – if a different selection of plays had survived? This book answers such questions through a detailed study of the fragments in their historical and literary context. Making use of recent scholarly developments and new editions of the fragments, The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy makes these works fully accessible for the first time. Cover 1 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction 14 1 Aeschylus 24 Athamas (TrGF 3 F1-4a) 29 Egyptians (TrGF 3 F5) 30 Women of Aetna (TrGF 3 F6-11) 30 Alcmene (TrGF 3 F12) 32 Women (or Men) of Argos (TrGF 3 F16-18) 32 The Argo (TrGF 3 F20-1) 33 Atalante (TrGF 3, pp. 136–7) 34 Bacchae (TrGF 3 F22) 35 Bassarai or Bassarides (TrGF 3 F23-5) 36 Glaucus the Sea-God (TrGF 3 F25c-34) 36 Glaucus of Potniae (TrGF 3 F36-42a) 38 Daughters of Danaus (TrGF 3 F43-6) 39 Eleusinians (TrGF 3 F53a-54) 40 Epigoni (TrGF 3 F55-6) 40 Edonians (TrGF 3 F57-67) 41 Daughters of Helios (TrGF 3 68-73a) 42 Children of Heracles (TrGF 3 F73b-77) 43 Chamber-Builders (TrGF 3 F78) 45 Thracian Women (TrGF 3 F83-5) 45 Priestesses (TrGF 3 F86-8) 46 Ixion (TrGF 3 F90-3) 47 Iphigenia (TrGF 3 F94) 48 Kabeiroi (TrGF 3 F95-97a) 49 Callisto (TrGF 3 F98) 50 Carians or Europa (TrGF 3 F99-101) 50 Cretan Women (TrGF 3 F116-20) 52 Laius (TrGF 3 F121-122a) 53 Women (or Men) of Lemnos (TrGF 3 F123a-b) 54 Memnon (TrGF 3 F127-9) 55 Myrmidons (TrGF 3 F131-42) 55 Mysians (TrGF 3 F143-5) 57 Youths (Neaniskoi, TrGF 3 F146-9) 58 Nemea (TrGF 3 F149a) 58 Daughters of Nereus (TrGF 3 F151-4) 59 Niobe (TrGF 3 F154a-167b) 59 Wool-Carders (TrGF 3 F168-172b) 61 Oedipus (TrGF 3, pp. 287–8) 61 The Judgement about the Arms (TrGF 3 F174-8) 62 Bone-Gatherers (TrGF 3 F179-80) 63 Palamedes (TrGF 3 F181-182a) 63 Pentheus (TrGF 3 F183) 64 Women of Perrhaebia (TrGF 3 F184-6a) 65 Penelope (TrGF 3 F187) 65 Polydectes (TrGF 3, p. 302) 66 Prometheus Unbound (TrGF 3 F190-204) 66 Propompoi (TrGF F209) 67 Women (or Men) of Salamis (TrGF 3 F216-20) 68 Semele, or Water-Carriers (TrGF 3 F221-4) 68 Telephus (TrGF 3 F238-40) 69 Female Archers (TrGF 3 F241-6) 70 Nurses (TrGF 3 F246a-d) 71 Hypsipyle (TrGF 3 F247-8) 72 Philoctetes (TrGF 3 F249-57) 72 Phineus (TrGF 3 F258-60) 73 Daughters of Phorcys (TrGF 3 F261-2) 74 Phrygians (TrGF 3 F263-72) 74 Psychagôgoi (TrGF 3 F273-8) 75 Psychostasia (TrGF 3 F279-80a) 76 Oreithuia (TrGF 3 F281) 77 2 Sophocles 80 Athamas I and II (TrGF 4 F1-10) 84 Locrian Ajax (TrGF 4 F10a-18) 85 Aegeus (TrGF 4 F19-25a) 87 Ethiopians (TrGF 4 F28-33) 88 Memnon (TrGF 4, p. 347) 88 Female Prisoners (TrGF 4 F33a-59) 88 Acrisius (TrGF 4 F60-76) 89 Danae (TrGF 4 F165-70) 89 Men of Larissa (TrGF 4 F378-83) 89 Children of Aleus (TrGF F77-91) 90 Alexandros (TrGF 4 F91a-100a) 90 Alcmeon (TrGF 4 F108-10) 91 Epigoni (TrGF 4 F185-90) 91 Eriphyle (TrGF 4 F201a-h) 91 Amphitryon (TrGF 4 F122-4) 92 Andromache (TrGF 4 F125) 93 Andromeda (TrGF 4 F126-36) 93 Sons of Antenor (TrGF 4 F137-9) 95 Atreus (TrGF 4 F140-1) 95 Women of Mycenae (TrGF 4 F140-1) 95 Thyestes I, II and III (TrGF 4 F247-69) 95 The Gathering of the Achaeans (TrGF 4 F143-8) 97 Fellow-Diners (TrGF 4 F562-71) 97 Daedalus (TrGF 4 F158-164a) 98 Men of Camicus (TrGF 4 F323-7) 98 Minos (TrGF 4 F407) 98 Dolopians (TrGF F174-5) 99 The Demand for Helen’s Return (TrGF 4 F176-180a) 100 Hermione (TrGF 4 F202-3) 101 Eumelus (TrGF 4 F204-5) 103 Euryalus (TrGF 4, pp. 194–5) 103 Eurypylus (TrGF 4 F206-222b) 104 Eurysaces (TrGF 4 F223) 105 Erigone (TrGF 4 F235-6) 105 Thamyras (TrGF 4 F236a-245) 106 (?) Muses (TrGF 4 F407a-408) 106 Theseus (TrGF 4 F246) 108 Ixion (TrGF 4 F296) 108 Iobates (TrGF 4 F297-9) 109 Hipponous (TrGF 4 F300-304) 109 Iphigenia (TrGF 4 F305-12) 110 Ion (TrGF 4 F319-22) 110 Creusa (TrGF 4 F350-9) 110 Clytemnestra (TrGF 4 F334) 111 Women of Colchis (TrGF 4 F337-46) 111 Spartan Women (TrGF 4 F367-369a) 112 Laocoon (TrGF 4 F370-77) 112 Women of Lemnos (TrGF 4 F384-9) 114 Prophets, or Polyidus (TrGF 4 F389a-400) 114 Meleager (TrGF 4 F401-6) 115 Mysians (TrGF 4 F409-18) 115 Nauplius I and II (TrGF 4 F425-38) 116 Nausicaa, or Washerwomen (TrGF 4 F439-41) 117 Niobe (TrGF 4 F441a-451) 118 The Footwashing (TrGF 4 F451a) 119 Odysseus Wounded by the Spine (TrGF 4 F453-461a) 119 Mad Odysseus (TrGF 4 F462-7) 120 Oenomaus (TrGF 4 F471-7) 121 Palamedes (TrGF 4 F478-81) 123 Peleus (TrGF 4 F487-96) 123 Shepherds (TrGF 4 F497-21) 124 Polyxena (TrGF 4 F522-8) 125 Priam (TrGF 4 F528a-532) 126 Procris (TrGF 4 F533) 126 Root-Cutters (TrGF 4 F543-6) 128 Sinon (TrGF 4 F542-4) 128 Scythians (TrGF 4 F546-552) 129 Scyrians (TrGF 4 F553-61) 129 Tantalus (TrGF 4 F572-3) 130 Teucer (TrGF 4 F576-579b) 131 Telephus (TrGF 4 F580) 132 Tereus (TrGF 4 F581-595b) 132 Triptolemus (TrGF 4 F596-617a) 134 Troilus (TrGF 4 F618-35) 136 Percussion-Players (TrGF 4 F636-45) 137 Tyndareus (TrGF 4 F646-7) 137 Tyro (TrGF 4 F648-669a) 138 Water-Carriers (TrGF 4 F672-4) 140 Phaeacians (TrGF 4 F675-6) 141 Phaedra (TrGF 4 F677-93) 141 Phthian Women (TrGF 4 F694-6) 142 Philoctetes at Troy (TrGF 4 F697-703) 143 Phineus I and II (TrGF 4 F704-717a) 144 Phoenix (TrGF 4 F718-20) 146 Phrixus (TrGF 4 F721-723a) 146 Phrygians (TrGF 4 F724-5) 147 Chryses (TrGF 4 F726-30) 147 3 Euripides 150 Aegeus (TrGF 5 F1-13) 157 Aeolus (TrGF 5 F13a-41) 157 Alexandros (TrGF 5 F41a-63) 159 Alcmeon I and II (TrGF 5 F65-87a) 161 Alcmene (TrGF 5 F87b-104) 164 Alope (TrGF 5 F105-113) 166 Andromeda (TrGF 5 F114-56) 168 Antigone (TrGF 5 F157-78) 169 Antiope (TrGF 5 F179-227) 170 Archelaus (TrGF 5 F228-64) 173 Auge (TrGF 5 F 264a-281) 174 Bellerophon (TrGF 5 F285-312) 176 Danae (TrGF 5 F316-330a) 178 Dictys (TrGF 5 F330b-348) 180 Erechtheus (TrGF 5 F349-70) 181 Theseus (TrGF 5 F381-90) 184 Thyestes (TrGF 5 F391-397b) 186 Ino (TrGF 5 F398-423) 187 Ixion (TrGF 5 F424-7) 188 Hippolytus I (TrGF 5 F428-47) 189 Cresphontes (TrGF 5 F448a-59) 191 Cretan Women (TrGF 5 F460-70a) 193 Cretans (TrGF 5 F471-472g) 194 Licymnius (TrGF 5 F473-9) 197 Melanippe I and II (TrGF 5 F480-514) 198 Meleager (TrGF 5 F515-39) 200 Oedipus (TrGF 5 F539a-557) 203 Oeneus (TrGF 5 F558-70) 205 Oenomaus (TrGF 5 F571-7) 206 Palamedes (TrGF 5 F578-90) 206 Daughters of Pelias (TrGF 5 F601-16) 207 Peleus (TrGF 5 F617-24) 208 Pleisthenes (TrGF 5 F625-33) 208 Polyidus (TrGF 5 F634-46) 208 Protesilaus (TrGF 5 F646a-657) 209 Stheneboea (TrGF 5 F661-71) 210 Scyrians (TrGF 5 F681a-686) 212 Telephus (TrGF 5 F696-727c) 212 Temenus and Children of Temenus (TrGF 5 F727e-751a) 214 Hypsipyle (TrGF 5 F752-69) 215 Phaethon (TrGF 5 F771-86) 216 Philoctetes (TrGF 5 F787-803) 218 Phoenix (TrGF 5 F803a-18) 220 Phrixus I and II (TrGF 5 F818c-838) 220 Chrysippus (TrGF 5 F838a-844) 222 4 Unfamiliar Faces 224 Oedipus 227 Antigone 234 Medea 240 5 Lost Tragedies in Performance 250 Changes of scene in Aeschylus’ Women of Aetna 258 The entry of the chorus in Aeschylus’ Daughters of Nereus 261 The metamorphosis in Sophocles’ Tereus 264 The weighing-scales in Aeschylus’ Psychostasia 266 Music and mask in Sophocles’ Thamyras 269 Mass-murder in Sophocles’ Niobe 272 Niobe’s stony silence in Aeschylus’ Niobe 275 Visual intertextuality in Euripides’ Andromeda 279 Monologue and mask in Euripides’ Melanippe the Wise 283 Baby and lullaby in Euripides’ Hypsipyle 287 Costumes and props in Euripides’ Telephus 290 Earthquake and demolition in Euripides’ Erechtheus 293 Bibliography and Abbreviations 296 Index 311 "Numerous books have been written about Greek tragedy, but almost all of them are concerned with the 32 plays that still survive. This book, by contrast, concentrates on the plays that no longer exist. Hundreds of tragedies were performed in Athens and further afield during the classical period, and even though nearly all are lost, a certain amount is known about them through fragments and other types of evidence. Matthew Wright offers an authoritative two-volume critical introduction and guide to the lost tragedies. This first volume examines the remains of works by playwrights such as Phrynichus, Agathon, Neophron, Critias, Astydamas, Chaeremon, and many others who have been forgotten or neglected. (Volume 2 explores the lost works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.) What types of evidence exist for lost tragedies, and how might we approach this evidence? How did these plays become lost or incompletely preserved? How can we explain why all tragedians except Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides became neglected or relegated to the status of 'minor' poets? What changes and continuities can be detected in tragedy after the fifth century BC? Can the study of lost works and neglected authors change our views of Greek tragedy as a genre? This book answers such questions through a detailed study of the fragments in their historical and literary context. Including English versions of previously untranslated fragments as well as in-depth discussion of their significance, The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy makes these works accessible for the first time."--Bloomsbury Publishing Numerous books have been written about Greek tragedy, but almost all of them are concerned with the 32 plays that still survive. This book, by contrast, concentrates on the plays that no longer exist. Hundreds of tragedies were performed in Athens and further afield during the classical period, and even though nearly all are lost, a certain amount is known about them through fragments and other types of evidence. Matthew Wright offers an authoritative two-volume critical introduction and guide to the lost tragedies. This first volume examines the remains of works by playwrights such as Phrynichus, Agathon, Neophron, Critias, Astydamas, Chaeremon, and many others who have been forgotten or neglected. (Volume 2 explores the lost works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides.) What types of evidence exist for lost tragedies, and how might we approach this evidence? How did these plays become lost or incompletely preserved? How can we explain why all tragedians except Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides became neglected or relegated to the status of 'minor' poets? What changes and continuities can be detected in tragedy after the fifth century BC? Can the study of lost works and neglected authors change our views of Greek tragedy as a genre? This book answers such questions through a detailed study of the fragments in their historical and literary context. Including English versions of previously untranslated fragments as well as in-depth discussion of their significance, The Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy makes these works accessible for the first time Volume 1. Neglected Authors: The Earliest Tragedies -- Some Fifth-century Tragedians -- Agathon -- Tragic Family Trees -- Some Fourth-century Tragedians -- The Very Lost -- Volume 2. Aeschylus, Sophocles And Euripides.