Founding Athens II: Ion and Origin Myths in Tragedy (handout)
Classical Mythology
English - May 02, 2013 00:21 - ★★★★ - 18 ratingsCourses Education History la trobe university chris mackie christopher mackie greece greek history history ancient history rhiannon evans classical mythology Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
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Mythological stories dramatized in Athenian tragedy provide us with a good opportunity to explore how myth is used in aparticular political and social context. Dramatists choose specific mythological episodes, which make it possible to reflect on Athenian society and to question the validity of the myths themselves. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Euripides’ Ion, which retells the myth of one of Athens’ early kings, and highlights contemporary issues from Euripides’ own time, such as the exclusivity of Athenian citizenship and the Athenian claim to authority over all Ionian peoples.
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