Sophocles: A Guide to Selected Sources: Difference between revisions
Nick White (talk | contribs) (Make a start) |
Nick White (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
Best-loved of the tragedians, Sophocles won at least twenty times in the Athenian dramatic festivals. He died in 406/5 BCE, aged around ninety. He wrote over a hundred and twenty plays ({{#lemma: ''Suda'' | [[Suda, s.v. Sophocles | ''Suda'', s.v. Sophocles]]}}); seven survive complete: ''Ajax'', ''Electra'', ''Women of Trachis'', ''Antigone'', ''Oedipus Tyrannus'', ''Philoctetes'' (409 BCE), ''Oedipus at Colonus'' (401 BCE). The {{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} transmitted with his plays is probably Hellenistic (see Bing 1993), but biographical stories circulated during Sophocles’ lifetime. Sources on Sophocles are collected by Radt (1977). | Best-loved of the tragedians, Sophocles won at least twenty times in the Athenian dramatic festivals. He died in 406/5 BCE, aged around ninety. He wrote over a hundred and twenty plays ({{#lemma: ''Suda'' | [[Suda, s.v. Sophocles | ''Suda'', s.v. Sophocles]]}}); seven survive complete: ''Ajax'', ''Electra'', ''Women of Trachis'', ''Antigone'', ''Oedipus Tyrannus'', ''Philoctetes'' (409 BCE), ''Oedipus at Colonus'' (401 BCE). The {{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} transmitted with his plays is probably Hellenistic (see Bing 1993), but biographical stories circulated during Sophocles’ lifetime. Sources on Sophocles are collected by Radt (1977). | ||
If classicism is the product of nostalgia for an idealized past (see Porter 2006), Sophocles represents its acme. His Life is perfectly harmonized with his poetry (cf. Graziosi 2006: 160-5). Considered through the lens of Sophocles’ mighty champion Aristotle, it might actually qualify as blessed (''Nicomachean Ethics'' 1.10), apparently combining virtuous activity in accordance with reason (both contemplative and politically oriented) with good fortune—and no reversals. It certainly exemplifies the good timing said to be characteristic of his dramas ({{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} 20-1). Raised in prosperity, Sophocles receives an aristocratic education in gymnastics and ''mousikê'' and sings the paean after the victory at Salamis ({{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} 3). His career coincides with Athens’ heyday, ending before her catastrophic defeat by Sparta. He influences and is influenced by luminaries like Herodotus (see Dewald/Marincola 2006), whom he celebrates in an {{#lemma: epigram | [[TO ADD]]}}. Taking what is best from Aeschylus, he brings tragedy to what Aristotle considers its natural fulfillment. Thereafter, Sophocles represents the golden mean between his rivals, Aeschylus and Euripides (see Hunter 2009). | |||
Whilst Euripides subverts traditional religion and Aeschylus is accused of profaning the mysteries (see [[Guide to Aeschylus]]), Sophocles is ‘more pious than anyone else’ ({{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} 12, 16; see Jouanna 2007: 73-90). He enjoys reciprocal divine favour and possesses vatic authority ({{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} 12, 15, 17). When Heracles’ shrine is robbed, the hero reveals the thief’s identity to Sophocles in a dream ({{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} 11, cf. {{#lemma: Cicero | [[TO ADD]]}}), as he reveals Philoctetes’ destiny in Sophocles’ tragedy. The {{#lemma: ''Vita'' | [[Life of Sophocles | ''Life of Sophocles'']]}} (11) says that Sophocles was priest of a healer-hero, Halon. Some suspect confusion with Amynus, attested in {{#lemma: inscriptions | [[TO ADD]]}} with Asclepius and ‘Dexion’—Sophocles’ cult-name in a {{#lemma: Byzantine lexicon | [[TO ADD]]}}. Supposedly derived from his ‘reception’ (''dexis'') of Asclepius (cf. {{#lemma: Plutarch | [[TO ADD]]<br />[[TO ADD]]}}, Lefkowitz 2012, Connolly 1998), {{#lemma: the name may pun on his poetic dexterity | [[TO ADD]]<br />[[TO ADD]]}}. A Sophoclean paean to Asclepius (Page, ''PMG'' 737) was still performed in Athens in {{#lemma: Philostratus’ | [[TO ADD]]}} day. | |||
---- | ---- | ||
Revision as of 16:02, 25 April 2013
Sarah Burges Watson
Best-loved of the tragedians, Sophocles won at least twenty times in the Athenian dramatic festivals. He died in 406/5 BCE, aged around ninety. He wrote over a hundred and twenty plays (Suda Suda, s.v. Sophocles); seven survive complete: Ajax, Electra, Women of Trachis, Antigone, Oedipus Tyrannus, Philoctetes (409 BCE), Oedipus at Colonus (401 BCE). The Vita Life of Sophocles transmitted with his plays is probably Hellenistic (see Bing 1993), but biographical stories circulated during Sophocles’ lifetime. Sources on Sophocles are collected by Radt (1977).
If classicism is the product of nostalgia for an idealized past (see Porter 2006), Sophocles represents its acme. His Life is perfectly harmonized with his poetry (cf. Graziosi 2006: 160-5). Considered through the lens of Sophocles’ mighty champion Aristotle, it might actually qualify as blessed (Nicomachean Ethics 1.10), apparently combining virtuous activity in accordance with reason (both contemplative and politically oriented) with good fortune—and no reversals. It certainly exemplifies the good timing said to be characteristic of his dramas (Vita Life of Sophocles 20-1). Raised in prosperity, Sophocles receives an aristocratic education in gymnastics and mousikê and sings the paean after the victory at Salamis (Vita Life of Sophocles 3). His career coincides with Athens’ heyday, ending before her catastrophic defeat by Sparta. He influences and is influenced by luminaries like Herodotus (see Dewald/Marincola 2006), whom he celebrates in an epigram TO ADD. Taking what is best from Aeschylus, he brings tragedy to what Aristotle considers its natural fulfillment. Thereafter, Sophocles represents the golden mean between his rivals, Aeschylus and Euripides (see Hunter 2009).
Whilst Euripides subverts traditional religion and Aeschylus is accused of profaning the mysteries (see Guide to Aeschylus), Sophocles is ‘more pious than anyone else’ (Vita Life of Sophocles 12, 16; see Jouanna 2007: 73-90). He enjoys reciprocal divine favour and possesses vatic authority (Vita Life of Sophocles 12, 15, 17). When Heracles’ shrine is robbed, the hero reveals the thief’s identity to Sophocles in a dream (Vita Life of Sophocles 11, cf. Cicero TO ADD), as he reveals Philoctetes’ destiny in Sophocles’ tragedy. The Vita Life of Sophocles (11) says that Sophocles was priest of a healer-hero, Halon. Some suspect confusion with Amynus, attested in inscriptions TO ADD with Asclepius and ‘Dexion’—Sophocles’ cult-name in a Byzantine lexicon TO ADD. Supposedly derived from his ‘reception’ (dexis) of Asclepius (cf. Plutarch TO ADD
TO ADD, Lefkowitz 2012, Connolly 1998), the name may pun on his poetic dexterity TO ADD
TO ADD. A Sophoclean paean to Asclepius (Page, PMG 737) was still performed in Athens in Philostratus’ TO ADD day.
