Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society
In Greek culture, the natural connection between war and fear was acknowledged since Homer. However, during the Hellenic era (507-323 BC), war began to be represented on the stage in tragedies, in which the connection between war and fear included the emotion of desperation. During the Persian War,...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Fondazione Nuto Revelli
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Close Encounters in War Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://closeencountersinwarhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/arpaia-fear-self-pity-and-war-in-fifth-century-athenian-tragedy.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819174301447749632 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria Arpaia |
| author_facet | Maria Arpaia |
| author_sort | Maria Arpaia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Greek culture, the natural connection between war and fear was acknowledged
since Homer. However, during the Hellenic era (507-323 BC), war began to be represented on the stage in tragedies, in which the connection between war and fear included the emotion of desperation. During the Persian War, in which Athens began the symbol of Greece’s freedom, the citizens experienced for the first time war-fear and the anguish over the threat of slavery. The educational task of tragedians, therefore, was twofold: on the one hand, they highlighted the heroic values in order to keep alive in the Athenians the civic duty of defending their homeland; on the other hand, they voiced the war-fear of the people, which had to endure the
worst effect of the conflict. This paper will offer insight into the Greek conceptualization of war-related fear in two different historical contexts: in the aftermath of the Persian War, by analysing Aeschylus’s Seven against Thebes (467 b. C.); and during the disastrous Peloponnesian War, by analysing Euripides’s The Trojan Women (415 b. C.). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T20:36:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-08844c90333242bc98900754a60bdd55 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2704-8799 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T20:36:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Fondazione Nuto Revelli |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Close Encounters in War Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-08844c90333242bc98900754a60bdd552022-12-21T18:13:27ZengFondazione Nuto RevelliClose Encounters in War Journal2704-87992021-12-014-1132Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior SocietyMaria Arpaia0Università degli Studi dell'AquilaIn Greek culture, the natural connection between war and fear was acknowledged since Homer. However, during the Hellenic era (507-323 BC), war began to be represented on the stage in tragedies, in which the connection between war and fear included the emotion of desperation. During the Persian War, in which Athens began the symbol of Greece’s freedom, the citizens experienced for the first time war-fear and the anguish over the threat of slavery. The educational task of tragedians, therefore, was twofold: on the one hand, they highlighted the heroic values in order to keep alive in the Athenians the civic duty of defending their homeland; on the other hand, they voiced the war-fear of the people, which had to endure the worst effect of the conflict. This paper will offer insight into the Greek conceptualization of war-related fear in two different historical contexts: in the aftermath of the Persian War, by analysing Aeschylus’s Seven against Thebes (467 b. C.); and during the disastrous Peloponnesian War, by analysing Euripides’s The Trojan Women (415 b. C.).https://closeencountersinwarhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/arpaia-fear-self-pity-and-war-in-fifth-century-athenian-tragedy.pdfgreek tragedyemotions and theatreaeschyluseuripideseducational function of theatre |
| spellingShingle | Maria Arpaia Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society Close Encounters in War Journal greek tragedy emotions and theatre aeschylus euripides educational function of theatre |
| title | Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society |
| title_full | Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society |
| title_fullStr | Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society |
| title_short | Fear, Self-Pity, and War in Fifth-Century Athenian Tragedy: Ethos and Education in a Warrior Society |
| title_sort | fear self pity and war in fifth century athenian tragedy ethos and education in a warrior society |
| topic | greek tragedy emotions and theatre aeschylus euripides educational function of theatre |
| url | https://closeencountersinwarhome.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/arpaia-fear-self-pity-and-war-in-fifth-century-athenian-tragedy.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariaarpaia fearselfpityandwarinfifthcenturyatheniantragedyethosandeducationinawarriorsociety |