아테네 비극 속의 헤라클레스－에우리피데스 비극의 역사적 콘텍스트－ (Heracles in Euprides’ Tragedies - A Historical Approach -)

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초록

This paper is to clarify the meaning and politico-social background of Greek tragedy focusing on the Heracleidai and the Heracles of Euripides. I try to prove that the reason Euripides chose the theme of Heracles for his tragedies was deeply related to the enmity against Sparta. During the Peloponnesian War, the chief enemy of Athens was Sparta. It meant that the Athenians needed to rebuke Sparta or to emphasize miseries of Sparta for anti-Sparta propaganda.
Euripides (as well as Sophocles and Aeschylos) chose Heracles as their theme because Heracles was widely accepted especially as the legendary hero and founder of Sparta. In the Heracles, Heracles was described far from as a hero, but as a mere wretched person: Heracles had been mad enough to kill his own children, and after the murder, his behaviour was like a weak woman and even tried to kill himself out of despair. The very person who saved Heracles from his miseries was Theseus, the Athenian King. The structure of Heracleidai was almost the same. The children of Heracles were chased by the king of Argos, the fatal enemy of Heracles. There was none to help them against Argos, except Athens. Only the Athenians helped them even risking a war against Argos.
In conclusion, the message of these two tragedies, Heracleidai and Heracles seems quite clear: Heracles, the national hero of Sparta, was not heroic at all,and it was Athens that saved Heracles or his children from their misfortune.
Thus, Sparta should not have attacked Athens: it was like returning good with evil. It furthermore means that Greek tragedies, Heracleidai and Heracles as well as other Attic tragedies, cannot be fully understood without considering international relationship of Athens at that time.

영어초록

This paper is to clarify the meaning and politico-social background of Greek tragedy focusing on the Heracleidai and the Heracles of Euripides. I try to prove that the reason Euripides chose the theme of Heracles for his tragedies was deeply related to the enmity against Sparta. During the Peloponnesian War, the chief enemy of Athens was Sparta. It meant that the Athenians needed to rebuke Sparta or to emphasize miseries of Sparta for anti-Sparta propaganda.
Euripides (as well as Sophocles and Aeschylos) chose Heracles as their theme because Heracles was widely accepted especially as the legendary hero and founder of Sparta. In the Heracles, Heracles was described far from as a hero, but as a mere wretched person: Heracles had been mad enough to kill his own children, and after the murder, his behaviour was like a weak woman and even tried to kill himself out of despair. The very person who saved Heracles from his miseries was Theseus, the Athenian King. The structure of Heracleidai was almost the same. The children of Heracles were chased by the king of Argos, the fatal enemy of Heracles. There was none to help them against Argos, except Athens. Only the Athenians helped them even risking a war against Argos.
In conclusion, the message of these two tragedies, Heracleidai and Heracles seems quite clear: Heracles, the national hero of Sparta, was not heroic at all,and it was Athens that saved Heracles or his children from their misfortune.
Thus, Sparta should not have attacked Athens: it was like returning good with evil. It furthermore means that Greek tragedies, Heracleidai and Heracles as well as other Attic tragedies, cannot be fully understood without considering international relationship of Athens at that time.

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