Greek Tragedies

Years after she was led to Aulis to be sacrificed, Iphigenia lives in exile as a priestess of Artemis, charged with sacrificing strangers who come to her shores. When two Greek prisoners arrive, she discovers that one is her long-lost brother Orestes. Euripides’ Iphigenia Among the Taurians is a story of recognition, escape, and a family broken by violence given one unexpected chance at reunion.

An old, blind Oedipus comes at last to Colonus, seeking a place to die. Hunted by his past and fought over for the strange power promised by his death, the ruined king must confront his sons, his city, and the gods before finding a final resting place. Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus is a haunting story of exile, reconciliation, and redemption at the end of a long and terrible life.

Tantalus, mighty king and son of Zeus, prepares a feast for the gods—and becomes convinced it is a test of his own divinity. As reason gives way to pride, he crosses the final boundary between man and god, father and monster, and discovers too late the meaning of the laws he has broken.

In the only surviving tragedy telling of contemporary events, Aeschylus tells of the defeat of the Persian armies at Salamis.

Odysseus awakens in darkness, waiting for a dawn that never comes. Guided by Sisyphus through the shadows of Hades, the great king retraces the path of his life until memory gives way to truth.

A sister defies a king. A ruler defies the gods. Sophocles’ Antigone is one of the defining tragedies of the ancient world, exploring duty, law, pride, and the devastating cost of moral certainty. In this episode, we examine the clash between Antigone and Creon and ask why this timeless drama continues to provoke debate more than 2,400 years after it was first performed.

In honor of the release of The Odyssey, this week we read the only extant satyr play, The Cyclops by Euripides. In Greek Theater, authors wrote four plays for a performance, three tragedies and one comedy called a satyr play. This satyr tells the story of Odysseus outwitting the Cyclops.

Betrayed by Jason's marriage to Creon's daughter and threatened with exile, Medea resolves a terrible revenge. She sends poisoned gifts that kill the bride and Creon, then—unable to allow her children to be used against her—kills her own sons. After committing these acts she escapes Corinth in a chariot granted by her divine lineage, leaving Jason ruined and the city shattered. The episode examines betrayal, wrath, and the tragic consequences of vengeance.

A proud young prince devoted to Artemis rejects love and scorns the power of Aphrodite. In revenge, the goddess kindles a forbidden passion in his stepmother, Phaedra, setting in motion one of Greek tragedy’s cruelest chains of misunderstanding. In this episode, we explore Euripides’ Hippolytus—a haunting drama of chastity, desire, divine vengeance, and the heartbreaking reconciliation between a father and his dying son.

In this episode, we turn from tragedy to one of the oldest surviving works of Greek literature: the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. We follow the god’s remarkable rise from his miraculous birth on the island of Delos to his conquest of the monstrous Python at Delphi. Along the way, Apollo establishes his great oracle, claims his sacred sanctuary, and gathers the first priests who will serve him. More than a simple hymn of praise, the poem reveals how the Greeks understood divine power, prophecy, music, and the founding of sacred places. It is the story of a young god announcing himself to the world—and ensuring that mortals will hear his voice for generations to come.

Orestes, pursued by the Furies for murdering his mother, flees to Athens where he is tried at the Areopagus.

Oedipus ran away from his home in Corinth to avoid the prophecy which foretold he would kill his father and marry his mother. After answering the riddle of the Sphynx, he was made King of Thebes, and charged with hunting down the killer of the former King. As Oedipus begins to examine the facts from the past, he slowly learns the horrifying truth that we often fulfill our destiny on the road we took to avoid it…

Orestes returns from exile to avenge his father’s murder at the hands of his mother and her lover Aegisthus.

The King of Thebes denies the divinity of Dionysus and persecutes the women of the city who have begun practicing the mystic rites of the god. In Euripides’ telling, Dionysus visits the city and its King to exact his revenge in horrifying detail.

Agamemnon returns home from Troy. His wife Clytemnestra welcomes him home as a conquering hero, but secretly plans to kill him for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia before he left for the war.

After the death of Achilles at Troy, Odysseus and Ajax competed for the arms of Achilles. The army awarded the arms to Odysseus as the second best warrior. Ajax, in his humiliation, planned to kill Odysseus and the Greek captains for dishonoring him.

At Aulis the Greek fleet is stalled by a divine prophecy: Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease Artemis so the armada can sail to Troy. The play follows Agamemnon’s guilt and the tensions between commanders, the army, and family. Iphigenia learns her fate and chooses to accept death for the sake of Greece. Achilles vows to defend her, but at the altar the goddess intervenes, substituting a deer and sparing the girl, allowing the fleet to depart.

After stealing fire from heaven, Prometheus is chained to the side of a mountain but refuses to relent.