Context Flashcards
Aeschylus
fought in Battle of Salamis and lost his brother @ Marathon
-> slightly sympathetic to Persian grief because he too shares in their pain and suffering
=> lots of Athenian audience either fought (vivid) or lost someone (upsetting) engages audience
Greek tragedy
performed in trilogy at Theatre of Dionysus (acropolis in Athens)
-> Athenian audience and therefore much of the writing becomes very Athenocentric (e.g get Athens you’ve got Greece)
won 1st prize at festival competition and changed Greek tragedy by adding a second character
Release of play
only released a few years after battle
-> still very fresh in people’s minds (engage very differently to modern audience)
contemporary audience: understand grief, impact of war, Greek victory, Persian loss
modern: less understanding of sufferings and social response (less relevant)
unique in Greek tragedies that have survived because it examines recent history not mythical land (delves into historical events in order to impress judges)
Greek victory
many mentions of Greek victory (bc A = Greek)
-> continually bigs up Greeks and makes Persians dramatic (e.g end of Persia forever bc Greece = awesome)
Issues with play
Greek commentary on Persia (even though set in Persia w/ Persian characters, everything has been manipulated by a Greek man) Greek views about Persia
Even Persian views about Greece are Greek views about Persian views of Greece
A showing off knowledge about Persia (names, customs, history etc.)
attributes defeat of Persia to Greek skill, bravery and independence and to god’s punishment of Persia for extending beyond boundaries of Persia
-> biased viewpoint from Greek man but it is reflective of audience
Multicultural
multicultural aspect of Persia seen in long lists of chiefs and satraps loyal to Xerxes who march off to war
-> link to Persian art etc. => A showing how multicultural Persia is whilst also showing off
- diff. weapons
- chiefs
- territories
- customs
When was the play performed?
8 years after the Battle of Salamis
likely feelings still ran high against Persians in 472 BC
What did the Athenians do before the battle of Salamis?
evacuated city and invading Persians had burnt cities temples
Where was the theatre loacted?
slopes of Athenian Acropolis where the cahrred remains of the temples were
also perfromed in smaller theatres around country
Where was the theatre loacted?
slopes of Athenian Acropolis where the cahrred remains of the temples were
also perfromed in smaller theatres around country
Where would resonance of play been most felt?
Eleusis where theatre overlooked island of Salamis
Where would resonance of play been most felt?
Eleusis where theatre overlooked island of Salamis
Aeschylus’ tomb
epitaph refers to his involvement in Marathon
In Book 6, H says A’s brother fought in the battle
detailed depictions of bodies floating in sea suggests haunted memories of eye witness
bodies chorus describe = Persian but also fit with Athenians and relatives in audience
Popularity of play
play was a success when it was performed so assumed that sypathy expresseed for the enemy was not offensive for the audience
Dejection of Persian court
suggests that Persians are no longer a threat to the Athenians
Salamis is depicted as the battle that destroyed the Persian Empire (messenger)
-> Darius briefly mentions Dorians at Plataea but focus = Athenians at Salamis
