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Hippolytus
7Euripides
Euripides's tragedy of Phaedra and her stepson — the primary source for Racine's Phèdre and the template for every later drama of forbidden desire.
GBM Assessment (Score: 7/10)
Euripides' Hippolytus explores the devastating consequences of Phaedra's forbidden desire for her stepson, creating a drama of passion, shame, and divine cruelty that has resonated through the centuries. The play served as the primary source for Racine's Phèdre (1677), one of the masterworks of French classical theater.
In the play, the goddess Aphrodite punishes Hippolytus for his devotion to chastity by inflicting Phaedra with uncontrollable passion. The tragedy was adapted by Seneca in the Roman period and later by Racine, whose Phèdre is considered among the greatest French tragedies. Richard Strauss also drew upon the material for his opera, extending the story's influence into the world of music.
Classical Athens: The Golden Age, c. 480-430 BC
Athens defeats Persia at Marathon and Salamis, inaugurating the most concentrated cultural flowering in Western history. Under Pericles, the Parthenon rises. Athenian democracy reaches fullest expression. The Great Dionysia produces tragedy and comedy. Herodotus invents history. The population of Athens — smaller than modern Reno — shapes Western civilization forever.
Awards & Adaptations
Racine's Phèdre. Strauss opera.
Recommended Edition
A.S. Way (Loeb 1912)
