Biography
Euripid (Eurypid) is a great ancient Greek playwright, the younger contemporary of Eshil and Sophokla. His biography would be a find for a modern yellow press: intrigue and rivalry with other poets, 2 broken because of the treason, departure from homeland and mysterious death, presumably coming as a result of the court conspiracy.Childhood and youth
Of course on the early years of Euripid, a little has been preserved, and they often contradict each other. Greek comedized Aristophaan wrote that his Mother Clayly traded in the market greens and vegetables, but in later sources it is denied. Euripid was clearly from the secured family, because he received a versatile education - according to Roman writer Avla Gelulia, he studied at the philosophers of Protagore and Anaksagora.
As for the year of his birth, then many sources are the date of September 23, 480 BC. NS. - On this day, the Greek army defeated Persians in the sea battle on Salamine. However, other written evidence includes the mention that the Claito conceived Euripid when the king Xerxes invaded Europe, which happened 5 months to the Salamina victory.
Most likely, the future playwright was born later on September 23, simply then his biographers "pulled" the date with the aim of the "embellishment" - then such techniques in life-in-law were used often.
Also found 2 more sources indicating different information about the birth time of Euripid: according to the inscription in the Paros marble, this happened in 486 BC. e., and according to other testimonies of contemporaries - in 481.
As a child, the future playwright was fond of sports and made great progress in gymnastics, winning competitions among the boys-peers. He dreamed of getting to the Olympic Games, but did not take it because of young age. He was engaged in Euripid and drawing, but he did not succeed at this.
Dramaturgy
In his youth, Euripid loved reading and began to collect books, and eventually began to try the forces in writing the plays. His debut work "Peliad" came out in 455 BC. E, and in the 441th he received the first reward for her. It is believed that the playwright was the owner of an extensive library, but it was not preserved. Only 17 of his tragedies reached us, although it was written at least 90. From the works of other genres, only the drama "Kiklop" completely survived.
Although the contemporaries called him a philosopher on stage, the whole philosophical system of Euripid for himself did not build. His worldview has developed from other people's concepts, primarily of Sophism. To the religion in general and to the gods in particular, he treated with irony, and myths and beliefs used only for the background.
The gods in the works of Euripid appear ruthless and vengeful creatures (this was clearly manifested in the "Ion" tragedy), but it cannot be called an atheist - the existence of a supreme essence, which managing the world, he still recognized. At that time, such views were original and advanced, so the viewers of the audience, Euripid often did not find. Some of his works, such as "IPPOLIT", caused a storm of indignation from the public and were declared immoral.
The work of the playwright is divided into 2 categories: the tragedy itself, where the gods often appear, and socially domestic dramas in which ordinary people act. In the works of Euripid, the political events of that time were reflected. He wrote the tragedy in the era of the Peloponess Wars, against which he expressed a hot protest. The image of peace-loving Athens created by them was preserved in his work, which the playwright opposed the aggressive oligarchic sparta.
Euripid is known for the fact that the first began to work out feminine images in literature - predecessors preferred to describe men. Medea, Iphigence, Electra, Andromeda and other heroines of his tragedies are vital, finished, plausible images. The playwright was sincerely interested in the themes of female love and devotion, cruelty and cunning, so his heroine is often even superior to the heroes of the power of will and vivid feelings.
In his work, he often mentioned slaves, while she took them not by soulless statists, but with full-fledged characters with difficult characters. As for the unity and completion of action, this requirement is satisfied with only a few of its work. The power of Euripid is in subtleties and psychologism of scenes and monologues, but in spectacular endings he was not strong.
According to some information, the man himself wrote music to his tragedies. Such a conclusion was made by finding quotes from "Ores" on the old papyrus, in which the preserved music signs are clearly visible. If this is actually the work of Euripid, then he appears before the descendants in a completely different quality - a composer-innovator, a skillful master of harmony.
In 408 BC NS. Euripide left Athens and settled in Macedonia. The reasons for his decision to leave the city are not known: perhaps the wounded and sensitive poet was offended by his countrymen, did not appreciate his work on dignity (from 95 of his plays during the life of the author, only 4).
Personal life
In privacy, the playwright was not lucky. For the first time he married a woman named Hloirin, who gave birth to three children, but marriage was terminated because of her infidelity. After that, disappointed Euripide wrote the "Ippolite" play, where the love relationship was ridiculous. With the second wife, Melitta, the story was repeated, after which the playwright was completely offended by the entire female family and walked the woman in his female quarrels, the Aristophane was laughed at his comedies later.
Plutarch mentioned the passion of playwright to the young men, in particular about his novel with the crater, the young lover of the Macedonian king Archeli.
According to the ancient descriptions, Euripide preferred silence and loneliness and could not bear the noise of the crowd. In Salamina, he often spent whole days in solitude in the sea grotto, admiring the sea and reflecting on the plot stars of new works.
Death
The last years of the lifestyle of the playwright and its concent are also sheaven legends. According to one version, he died in 406 BC. As a result of the conspiracy of rivals, the poets Arrida and Kratya: they bribed the court Lisimaha, who descended the royal hounds to Euripid. Other sources argue that the cause of the death of the playwright was not a dog, but women who killed him during the personal conflict, but this version is more like a rude joke, because the similar episode is mentioned in the play "Vakhanki".
Modern historians lean towards a simpler version - most likely, Euripid, who already lived to the pittle, simply could not stand the harsh Macedonian winter and died of illness. Athenians, former fellow drama, offered to pick up the body of Euripid for funerals, but by order Archeli his buried in the capital of Macedonia - Pelle.
When Sofokl found out about his death, told the actors in a sign of grief to play another play with uncovered heads. According to the legend, soon after the funeral in the grave of Euripid, lightning struck - it was a sign of a divine chosenness, which only Likurg was awarded until then.
Bibliography
- 438 BC E., - "Alkest"
- 431 BC NS. - "Medea"
- 430 BC NS. - "Geraklida"
- 428 BC NS. - "IPPOLIT"
- 425 BC NS. - "Andromache"
- 424 BC. NS. - "Goek"
- 423 BC NS. - "Supils"
- 413 BC NS. - "Electra"
- 416 BC NS. - "Hercules"
- 415 BC NS. - "Troyanki"
- 414 BC NS. - "Iphigenments in Tavrid"
- 414 BC NS. - "And he"