Wisdom and Folly in Euripides

Poulheria Kyriakou, Antonios Rengakos, Poulheria Kyriakou, Antonios Rengakos

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9783110452280
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism Theory
• Index: Literature

A major, defining polarity in Euripidean drama, wisdom and folly, has never so far been the subject of a book-length study. The volume aims at filling this gap. Virtually all Euripidean characters, from gods to slaves, are subject to some aspect of folly and claim at least some measure of wisdom. The playwright's sophisticated handling of the tradition and the pervasive ambiguity in his work add extra layers of complexity. Wisdom and folly become inextricably intertwined, as gods pursue their agendas and mortal characters struggle to control their destiny, deal with their troubles, confront their past, and chart their future. Their amoral or immoral behavior and various limitations often affect also their families and communities. Leading international scholars discuss wisdom and folly from various thematic angles and theoretical perspectives. A final section deals with the polarity's reception in vase-painting and literature. The result is a wealth of fresh insights into moral, social and historical issues. The volume is of interest to students and scholars of classical drama and its reception, of philosophy, and of rhetoric

Fußnoten

1	I consider it a privilege to have been invited to honour and remember Daniel Iakov. I would like to thank. C. Cusset, G.B. D’Alessio, B. Graziosi, J. Haubold, E. Medda, P. Rhodes for comments on this paper. The responsibility for remaining errors is, of course, entirely mine.
2	See sch. A. Pers. 429 = Ion 392 F 7 Jacoby. Life of Sophocles: Radt 1999, 31 (T 1 lines 17–19). Euripides, Vita, in Schwartz 1887, 2 lines 5–6 = T 1 A §5 lines 16–17 (p. 47) in Kannicht 2004.
3	Fowler 1996, 66 argued that this etymology of Hellanicus is false, and that the name simply means ‘Hellenic’,with a short iota. Kovacs 1994a, 2–3 offers a reconstruction of the Life of Euripides which dispenses with the mention of Hellanicus altogether.
4	On these early historians and mythographers see Fowler 1996, Fowler 2000, and Fowler 2013 in general. Pherecydes wrote ‘historical’ works on mythical and genealogical topics. The peak of his activity is to be dated around 465 BCE (Fowler 2000, 272): see Thomas 1989, 161–78, Dolcetti 2004. Hellanicus of Lesbos lived ?480/79-post 407/6 BCE (Fowler 2000, 146). He wrote works on mythography and ethnography as well as chronicles. Acusilaus of Argos was active before 480/79 BCE (Fowler 2000, 1). On the date of Antiochus see below, section 6 and nn. 35, 36 and 38.
5	See Zeitlin 1970, Cropp 1998 on lines 173–4.
6	Aristophanes and other ancient sources attest that Euripides loved and collected books: T 46a-b, 49, 50a-b (= Ar. Ra. 939–43 and 1407–10) Kannicht.
7	See Scullion 1999, Dunn 2000, Seaford 2009, and below, section 5.
8	Cropp 2000, 263–4 on 1464–7, Scullion 1999, 217–33 (see below, section 5), Dunn 2000, Kyriakou 2006, 458–60 on E. IT 1462–67a, Seaford 2009, 230–1, with references.
9	See Allan 2008 on E. Hel. 1301–68 and 1469–75, Swift 2009, Murnaghan 2011, 255, Battezzato 2013.
10	See Holland 2008, Burkert 2009, Seaford 2009, 228–30, Battezzato (forthcoming).
11	Cropp in Collard, Cropp and Lee 1995, esp. 153 and 194, and on E. fr. 370, 71–2 and 107–8 Kannicht; Sonnino 2010, 90–100 and passim.
12	See Collard in Collard, Cropp and Lee 1995, 54, 66–70; fr. 472 Kannicht = fr. 1 Cozzoli 2001 (with her comments ad loc.); Di Benedetto 2001, 211–19 = Di Benedetto 2007, 1344–53.
13	Momigliano 1950, 286.
14	The translation printed above is taken from Collard and Cropp 2008.
15	See e. g. 3 F 2 (= 2 Fowler), 4 (= 4 Fowler), 8 (= 8 Fowler), 21 (= 21 Fowler), 22a (= 22a Fowler).
16	Jacoby 1949, 201, Fowler 1996, 65, Porciani 2001, Clarke 2008. See already the comments by Xenophon: historians discuss the glorious deeds of large cities, but forget those accomplished by small ones, an imbalance corrected in his own historical writings (Hellenica 7.2.1, talking about Phlius).
17	Allan 2001 has argued that the Heraclidae of Euripides were put on stage in Heraclea (Policoro) in southern Italy at the end of the fifth century, even if Heraclea was on Sparta’s side against Athens. Note that Heraclaea was founded in 433/2 on the site of Siris (the setting of another play by Euripides, Melanippe Desmotis).
18	Hellanic. 4 F 152a = 152 Fowler.
19	See Jacoby’s commentary on these fragments in FGrHist, Grafton and Swerdlow 1986, Battezzato 2014, with references.
20	Mastronarde 1994 on E. Ph. 662.
21	Sch. E. Ph. 662 (MSS MTAB): ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἑλλάνικος [4 F 96 = 96 Fowler] λίθῳ φησὶν ἀναι-ρεθῆναι τὸν δράκοντα, ὁ δὲ Φερεκύδης [3 F 88 = 88 Fowler; see see 3 F 22 = 22 Fowler] ξίφει.
22	What is Thetideion? Phylarchus (81 F 81: third century BCE) stated that it was a city; so apparently Pherecydes (3 F 1 = sch. Pi. N. 4.81 = 1 Fowler) and Hellanicus (4 F 136 = 136 Fowler). Strabo 9.5.6 is unclear but seems to consider it a city. See also Plb. 18.20.6 and Walbank 1967, 576–80. On the question see also Allan 2000, 48–9.
23	See sch. E. Andr. 17 = Pherecyd. 3 F 1c = 1 Fowler: τοῦτο ἀπὸ ἱστορίας εἴληφεν. αὐτόθι γὰρ αὐτῇ συνῴκησεν Πηλεύς· καὶ ἦν ὑπ’ Άχιλλέα τὸ Θετίδειον· ὅπερ ἐστὶ πόλις Θεσσαλίας ὥς φησι Φερεκύδης καὶ Σουίδας (FGrHist 602 F 6).
24	‘Modern Budua, on the coast of Montenegro’ (Dodds 1960 ad loc.).
25	Sophocles mentioned the city, almost certainly in a play staged before Euripides wrote the Bacchae (fr. 1125: see next note). Euripides was safe on that account. On this metamorphosis see also Buxton 2009, 59–62.
26	See EM 207.11–20; Et. Gen. β 202.1–7 (quoting S. fr. 1125 and Call. fr. 744). On Orestheion see Pherecyd. 3 F 135 (= 135 Fowler = sch. E. Or. 1645).
27	Scullion 1999, 232.
28	Scullion 1999, 218.
29	Scullion 1999, 219 n. 6.
30	Translation Dawe 1993.
31	See also E. Heracl. 656, S. El. 149.
32	Sch. E. Andr. 1240: θάψον πορεύσας· ὅτι μὲν ἐν Δελφοῖς ὁ Νεοπτόλεμος τέθαπται, καὶ Φερεκύδης [3 F 64b = 64b Folwer] ἱστορεῖ· ὅτι δὲ νεκρὸς ἐλθὼν εἰς Φθίαν πάλιν εἰς Δελφοὺς ἐπέμφθη, διέψευσται (MSS. MNOA).
33	For discussions of Euripides’ aitia, defending their plausibility, see Dunn 2000, Seaford 2009.
34	Collard and Cropp 2008, 569.
35	See Cropp and Fick 1985, 83–4; Cropp in Collard, Cropp and Lee 1995, 247; Collard and Cropp 2008, 571. A line from the Melanippe Captive was parodied in Eup. fr. 99.102 Kassel-Austin = 17,102 Telò (see Telò 2007, 504–8).
36	See St. Byz. s.v. Άνθηδών: Giacometti 1990...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• I General
• II Individual Plays
• III Reception
• List of Contributors
• Bibliography
• Publications by Daniel Iakov
• Index of Terms
• Index of Passages
• Footnotes