Aeschylus I: Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus


I read Prometheus Bound as part of the Online Great Books program.

This is a fascinating story. it is, of course, a Greek play written in the 5th century BC. The story is written in a form of prose poetry with dialogue and monologues intercut with contributions from the chorus to provide background and move the story along. The translation in this edition is quite accessible to the lay reader. This edition has a nice glossary that briefly explains references to persons and places in the text.

The story involves the "nailing" of the titan Prometheus to a mountain for offending Zeus by giving fire to man. The text is very clear that all of man's arts come from Prometheus and that Zeus's great ambition for man was to destroy mankind and start again.

The story moves in dialogue format. Prometheus talks to Io - a woman who has been horribly mistreated by the gods - and Hermes - who interrogates Prometheus about a prophecy that Zeus will be overthrown by a son (and who assigns the eagle to tear out Prometheus's liver for his refusal to share his knowledge.)

Reading this text at this point in my life makes me regret my misspent youth. This text raises questions about theodicy and the role of the gods in paganism. The sense I got was that Greeks viewed the goes with ambivalence. There is a lot of talk about Zeus being great and the first cause, but Zeus does awful things to individuals for petty and venal reasons. Likewise, Prometheus comes across as a kind of proto-savior, but one who denies a resurrection.

Again, this is a fruitful book for discussion and contemplation.

3 ⭐

”Grief is man’s lot, and men must bear it.
Sorrows come from sea and land;
And mortal ills will multiply with mortal years”
- The Ghost of Darius

n  n
Aeschylus’ final moments – Tragedy of the Tragedian


Next time you’re feeling hard done by, as if the Fates look upon you unfavourably, or Eutychia has treated you frugally in her distribution of good fortune, remember, it could be worse! Aeschylus was killed by an eagle that dropped a turtle on his head!

This is Aeschylus, the earliest Greek playwright from whom we still possess surviving material. He wrote anywhere between 70-90 plays of which 7 remain including The Oresteia Trilogy (the only extant trilogy of its kind) and the 4 plays included in this collection: Prometheus Bound, The Suppliants, Seven Against Thebes and The Persians.

I’m confident that the works in this collection are not Aeschylus’ best.

Prometheus Bound is the first. I found it an interesting choice to make it the dominant/titular play of the collection given that many scholars believe it wasn’t actually written by Aeschylus’ at all but perhaps by his eldest Grandson (in keeping with tradition, also named Aeschylus). Probably just comes down to good marketing, being the most popular of the 4 plays. It’s well-known; I found nothing remarkable about it.

The Suppliants is very dull. Being the first, and only extant, play of a trilogy it’s pretty evident that it’s intended to set up the second and third plays for which reason, very little actually happens. The 50 Suppliant Maidens (the Danaids) are fleeing their 50 cousins (the sons of Aegyptus) who wish to marry them against their will. With the help of their Father, Danaus, they come to the city of Argos where they promptly proceed to emotionally manipulate Argos’ King, Pelasgus, into taking them in and protecting them; poor bugger. For sure you’d help them if they came to you and respectfully put forth their woes and lamentations but these women immediately attempt to put the fear of the Gods’ retribution in Pelasgus’ heart and threaten to off themselves if he doesn’t protect them. Not cool, girls!

Seven against Thebes is the third, and only surviving, play from Aeschylus’ Oedipus trilogy. The first 2 being Lauis and Oedipus. Polyneices, son of Oedipus, has brought an army of foreigners to the Walls of Thebes (his own home from which he was exiled) to take control of the city from his brother, Eteocles. This play is, essentially, a long lamentation from a chorus of Theban women regarding the unfortunate situation they find themselves and their city in, followed by a live draw of which 7 Achaen Champions will do mortal combat with the 7 Thebian Champions, including a prayer, by the chorus, for each Thebian champion announced. Let me tell you... It’s mind-numbing! The melodramatic lamentation and frantic prayers to the Gods from the Theban women is almost comical. I actually questioned whether this was a tragedy when I found myself smiling at the back-and-forth between Eteocles and the Theban women as he frustratedly tried to calm them. Aeschylus portrays them as the generic frightened and inconsolable maidens in distress and, as it goes on for more than a couple of pages too many, it grates on the nerves. Antigone and Ismene are much the same towards the end of the play when there’s another comical display of mourning but Antigone, at least, is a character with some grit and fortitude. When the choice between family and state is forced upon her, she chooses family; Confucius would be proud. I’m looking forward to Sophocles Theban plays!

The Persians is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. It is a standalone, the earliest extant tragedy and the only one concerned with recent history rather than myth. The tale of King Xerxes who leads the entire Persian army to its death at the hands of the Athenians who they outnumbered 3 to 1. Professor Elizabeth Vandiver of the University of Maryland says that the plays of antiquity that survive, most likely survive because they were highly treasured in the byzantine era for their rhetorical, grammatical and linguistic features and were, therefore, used for educational purposes. Persians was the only play of the 4 which I personally felt this would apply to. To me, it shares little of the banalities of the other plays and the syntax is just a step above the others. A couple of examples:

”Smooth delusion’s flattering smile
Leads but where her trap is set;
There man pays his mortal debt:
Doom has caught what death will keep”

By replacing a single word, many passages become timeless truths:

”Such was the flower of manhood,
The pride of Persian youth’s valour,
That we saw march away;
For whom the land that nursed them
Now grieves with ardent longing
And counts each empty day
That quakes our hearts, and lengthens long delay.”

Regarding this edition specifically; that is the Penguin Classics translation by Philip Vellacott with the assistance of advisory editor Betty Radice, I thought the notes were hit and miss. They begin poorly with many of the notes for Prometheus Bound seeming kind of redundant or self-explanatory (in other words, not worth flicking to the back of the book for) but improve in quality/relevance from Seven of Thebes onwards. The main issue is that there aren’t enough notes, at least for someone like myself who enjoys as much extra detail as I can get. You’re better off having some sort of Greek Mythology Encyclopedia for quick reference. I already owned Hamilton’s Mythology so I flicked through that for a little refresher but Vellacott, himself, states:

The following notes explain only a few of the references to characters, places and events in ancient mythology which occur on almost every page of these plays... in general the reader must be referred to works such as Robert Grave’s ‘The Greek Myths’ or Rose’s ‘Handbook of Greek Mythology....

You could also supplement with something in an audio format. I’ve been working my way through ‘The Great Courses – Greek Tragedy’ and it’s chock full of fascinating information. Enjoy! :)

”... let your soul taste each day’s pleasure, spite of griefs;
For all abundance holds no profit for the dead.”

-

Seven Against Thebes: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

These four plays (all of which are the only surviving parts of trilogies) are suggestive, spare, and varied, and "Prometheus Bound" is likely my favorite ancient Greek tragedy. I'll take this over the Oresteia.

I recommend that you look at Terence's review at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... , but I would like to add some remarks to his.

Amongst these plays I much preferred The Persians. It opens with the elderly councilors to Xerxes who remained behind in Susa. They recall the pride and confidence with which the Persian army set forth but now are filled with foreboding and anxiety at the lack of news of victory. The tension between these emotions is very well drawn. The sense of foreboding is heightened when Xerxes' mother arrives and relates a dream and an omen. Then the news of Persia's calamity at Salamis arrives. The messenger recounts the battle - since Aeschylus was probably in the Athenian navy at Salamis (in any case, since the play was written only 8 years after that battle, he surely knew what he was writing about), I found this report to be riveting and composed in a noble and exciting poetry. In their grief they summon the shade of Darius, Xerxes' father (not the last ghost to haunt Western theater), who warns at length against hubris (he is clearly Aeschylus' puppet here). Then the defeated Xerxes arrives to emphasize in most dramatic speech the disastrous consequences of hubris. This emphasis on hubris is, of course, Greek, not Persian. But I very much appreciate that Aeschylus, instead of gloating over the Greeks' victory, empathized with the defeated foe.

This play has none of the frequent invocations, laments and pleas to the gods found in the other plays. I understand that ancient Greek drama had religious ceremony at its origin and only slowly developed its more human concerns, and, since Aeschylus is the eldest of the Greek playwrights whose work has survived, it is natural that there are, seemingly, more such invocations in his work. But, as understandable as it may be, it was a relief not to have to read them in The Persians . And since much of Prometheus Bound consists of such addresses, my pleasure in that play, clearly the most dramatic of the four in this book, was diminished.

Indeed, I find that I disagree with the relative ranking of Prometheus Bound and The Suppliants made by so many. Yes, Prometheus Bound can be read as a rebellion against tyranny, but as such an allegory it is quite thin. The rebellion occurred before the action of the play - the play is actually about the sufferings of those who rebel against tyranny. This is emphasized by the arrival of Io. How much more appealing, to my mind, is the story of a father trying to shelter his daughters (their number, 50, is absurd, but let that pass) from violent and unwanted suitors! And the moment when King Pelasgus realizes how bad of a situation the arrival of the descendants of Io has placed him in is real.

As for Seven Against Thebes, the less said the better. I was not surprised to read, after I had finished the play and felt that the appearance of Antigone and Ismene was superfluous, that Aeschylus' original ending was replaced by this foreign appendage 50 years after his death.

Rating

http://leopard.booklikes.com/post/112...

Prometheus Bound is

n  n by n  n Aeschylus

Finished: 28.10.2024
Genre: play
Rating: A++
#BackToTheClassics
Reading time: 1,5 hr


Good News: Lives of Io and Prometheus become entangled. One must help the other. Thank goodness Aeschylus uses the 'chorus' help the reader along the way with important backstory. Pg 43 in my Kindle version of the play starts long "road trip" that Io must follow to remove Hera's curse. Irony: Io wants to die to relieve her suffering, Promethesus is unable to "die" (curse Zeus) to relieve his suffering.

Bad News: I needed to look up many Greek Gods so I could follow the story. Who was Cronos, Io, Argus etc.? Don't forget Prometheus' grandfather Oceanus. But all in all knowing this story and learning about mythology is an education in itself.

Good News: I compared this classic play with history!
Prometheus: after stealing fire from the gods, he was publicly tried and punished for his actions.
Robert Oppenheimer: was hounded out of public life. 
Prometheus gave the gift of fire;/ to man; Oppenheimer...gave man the gift of a nuclear bomb.

Personal: The only way I can get through a Greek play is while reading...translate the antiquated text into colloquial words/phrases. I give he characters new names (Prometheus = Pete, Hephaestus - Hank). I keep asking myself simple questions: what does the title mean? What does a chorus do? It is probably basic info about classic Greek plats...but by engaging actively I can make an otherwise dull play into something I can enjoy or even laugh about. Call me crazy..but this works. This was a great play...a real page-turner. Prometheus and Zeus are going to clash...but when and how? (pg 52) "Now it is happening: threat gives place to performance!" In other words... "Game on, Zeus!"
#MustReadClassic

I find the ancient Greeks to be a fascinating bunch. I'm slowly learning about their culture and beliefs, their love of wine and the olive, and of discourse and philosophy. They loved competition; the Panhellenic Games -- boxing, wrestling, foot races, etc., the genesis of the Olympic Games today -- was a staple of their society which managed to bring together the city-states of Hellas. This love of the contest also extended into the realm of the drama. The Greek citizen enjoyed watching plays come alive in the open-aired theatres. The playwrights vied for the honor of having their play chosen as the best.

This work provides four of Aeschylus' work that have survived. Each of these plays were originally parts of a trilogy and unfortunately those works were lost to time, and so what we have left are these unfinished stories. The only trilogy that we have in completion is the Oresteia, which I plan to read at some point.

Here is a quick review of each play:

The Suppliant Maidens: A short play about maidens who have taken flight from Egypt to prevent being forcefully married to their cousins. They arrive in Argos and beg the the king of the city to give them refuge. I wasn't blown away but its important to note that this is 1 part of a lost trilogy so who knows what the rest of the play was like. 2/5 stars.

The Persians: Another short drama written in the point of view of the Persians after their loss at Salamis. In the introduction it says that plays humanizing the enemy were unthought of in ancient Greece. I enjoyed it because the melancholy and lamentations come through very well. You feel for the losers of the war. 3/5 stars.

Seven Against Thebes: Oedipus's son Eteocles, who is now king of Thebes, protects the city against an attack from his brother Polynices and six other great warriors. I enjoyed the writing in this one; very poetic. It's a cool addition to the three Theben plays by Sophocles. Fate wasn't kind to poor Oedipus. 4/5 stars.

Prometheus Bound: The story of Prometheus is my favorite of Greek myths and I was not disappointed with this one. The language was beautiful. Prometheus is wise and defiant. Hermes is an asshole but Prometheus lays down a lyrical smackdown. I loved it. I would've loved to see how this one ended. 5/5 stars.

Read directly after the relatively familiar Sophocles plays, which felt at times like the better parts of Shakespeare or Arrested Development, Aeschylus' drama applied itself to me in bold, even savage strokes. No wonder the young Nietzsche considered the soldier-turned-propagandist to have orchestrated tragedy's purest form - anything here resembling subtlety is bound in service to one or another unapologetic chauvinisms, any subversion of which is punished, catastrophically and unavoidably, by greater powers. The human position, the tragic position, is to walk into the gnashing jaws of fate. Pelasgus and Eteocles do so by placing themselves in harm's way. Xerxes flees his punishment and crumbles in humiliation. Throughout, the righteous noblesse of the lionised, masculinised Greek civilisation is contrasted with images of barbarian decadence. The Danaids are the only female (or indeed feminised) characters whose fear is transmuted to nobility - their preference for death over dishonour, as a sticking point, places them alongside the otherwise individual, "heroic", and definitely male tragic protagonists.

Prometheus Bound stands out, and the theory attributing its authorship to Aeschylus' own son, working from his father's notes, is appealing if only for the sense of teleological continuity it offers for the evolution of the tragic form. The matured, schizoid Nietzsche might be more compatible with this hero, whose challenges to the gods may actually promise to shake them from their pedestals, and whose noble suffering, though long and deep, comes yet with the certainty of vindication at the hands of his beneficiaries. The lines are blurred between the divine and the mortal. Glory is within reach, at least for some.

Once again, the OWC paperbacks deliver a wealth of supplementary material, including seventy-odd pages of introduction, and explanatory notes that match the play-texts themselves for volume. Alternating comfortably between two bookmarks remains a challenge, but as with operatic surtitles or anime subtitles, one learns to develop rhythms so as to integrate the stage-action and accompanying text into a cohesive, narrative experience.

Classic Greek tragedy. Aeschylus is difficult, and a guide to Ancient Greek theatre always helps. I returned to this collection over a period of thirty years.

I'm really enjoying my exploration of these ancient Greek works, I just wish more of them survived! I was so invested in The Suppliants, just for the trilogy to be incomplete