Murder among Friends Violation of Philia in Greek Tragedy

by Belfiore, Elizabeth S.

• ISBN13: 9780195131499
• ISBN10: 0195131495
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-01-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Philia describes the relationship of one individual to another: the bondsof affection, duty, or trust that exist between brother and sister or betweenwarriors in battle. To the ancient Greeks, to violate the philia bond was tocommit an offense against the gods, and to such an offense, an entire communityor even race is answerable. Belfiore looks at five major plays by Euripides,Aeschylus, and Sophocles to offer a meticulous examination of the philia factor,not only in its literary relation to tragic acts of hubris, but as a window intothe sociocultural mores of the era.

Author Biography

Elizabeth S. Belfiore is Professor in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Table of Contents

A Note on Spelling and Abbreviations	xi
Introduction	xv
Philia Relationships and Greek Literature	3	(18)
Philia in Aristotle and Greek Society	3	(6)
Philia in Epic	9	(4)
Philia in Tragedy: Overview	13	(2)
Xenia and Suppliancy in Tragedy	15	(6)
Appendix to Chapter 1: David Konstan on Philos and Philia	19	(2)
Averting Fratricide: Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris	21	(18)
The House of Tantalos	22	(5)
Pylades as Savior and Kin	27	(2)
Recognition	29	(5)
Purification and Rescue	34	(5)
The Suppliant Bride: Io and the Danaids in Aiskhylos's Suppliants	39	(24)
The Danaids and Pelasgos	41	(4)
The Danaids and Zeus	45	(2)
Io and Zeus Hikesios	47	(2)
The Suppliant Bride	49	(6)
Io as Bride of Zeus Begetter	55	(1)
The Danaids and the Aigyptiads	56	(2)
The Suppliants and the Trilogy	58	(5)
A Token of Pain: Betrayal of Xenia in Sophokles' Philoktetes	63	(18)
Initiation of Xenia	65	(5)
Betrayal and Repentance	70	(3)
Violation of Xenia at Skyros	73	(3)
The Son of Akhilleus	76	(5)
Sleeping With the Enemy: Euripides' Andromakhe	81	(20)
The Authentes Relationship	82	(3)
Ambiguities	85	(7)
Thetis and Peleus	92	(6)
The Final Solution	98	(3)
Killing One's Closest Philos: Self-Slaughter in Sophokles' Aias	101	(22)
Greek Attitudes Toward Suicide	103	(5)
Suicide as Noble Death	108	(3)
Kharis and Retribution	111	(2)
The Self as Philos and Enemy	113	(10)
Conclusion	117	(6)
Appendix A. Violation of Philia in the Extant Tragedies	123	(38)
I. Blood Kinship	124	(20)
II. Reciprocal Relationships	144	(11)
III. Exceptional Plays	155	(6)
Appendix B. Violation of Philia in the Fragments of the Major Tragedians	161	(43)
1. Category I. Subject Groups With Violation of Philia	163	(22)
2. Category II. Individual Plays With Violation of Philia	185	(4)
3. Category III. Subject Groups Without Violation of Philia	189	(11)
4. Category IV. Individual Plays Without Violation of Philia	200	(1)
5. Plays Not Discussed	201	(1)
6. Conclusion	202	(2)
Appendix C. Violation of Philia in the Fragments of the Minor Tragedians	204	(16)
1. Titles Suggesting Harm to Philoi	205	(4)
2. Evidence Other Than Titles for Harm to Philoi	209	(4)
3. Evidence Against Harm to Philoi	213	(2)
4. Conclusions: Tragedy of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries	215	(5)
Notes	220	(38)
Glossary	258	(1)
Works Cited	259	(16)
Index	275