Poetry and the Polis in Euripidean Tragedy

Euripides' tragedies address political issues through the employment of choral lyric genres and engagement with canonical poetic texts, dramatizing and illuminating these questions while also questioning how ancient Athenians understood and utilized these poetic forms. The relationship between poetry and politics is reciprocal, with each aspect illuminating and being illuminated by the other.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 236 pages
Publication date: 06 December 2022
Publisher: Harvard University Press

Most critics concur that Euripidean tragedy delves into a multitude of political issues, effectively incorporating and engaging with a diverse array of ancient Greek poetic traditions. However, these topics and questions have typically been treated separately. In this book, Jonah Radding argues that the political concerns addressed in Euripides' tragedies are intricately linked to his employment of choral lyric genres such as paean and epinician, as well as his engagement with canonical poetic texts like the Iliad and Aeschylus' Agamemnon.

We observe that Euripides consistently reimagines traditional poetic genres and texts to dramatize and shed light on political questions that are central to his tragedies. Simultaneously, Radding suggests that the dramatic politicization of the poetic tradition also serves to question the manner in which ancient Athenians understood and utilized these various poetic forms within their own polis. Ultimately, we discern that the relationship between poetry and politics in Euripidean tragedy is mutually reinforcing, as both aspects illuminate and are illuminated by the other, resulting in a reciprocal enhancement of power.

The exploration of these reciprocal relationships between poetry and politics in Euripidean tragedy offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between artistic expression and political discourse in ancient Greece. By examining how Euripides utilizes poetic forms to address political concerns and how the dramatic politicization of poetry challenges the prevailing understanding of these forms, we gain a deeper appreciation for the nuanced and multifaceted nature of ancient Greek culture and society.

Weight: 404g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674278530