Tragedy Offstage

by Sternberg, Rachel Hall

• ISBN13: 9780292714168
• ISBN10: 0292714165
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-30
• Publisher: Univ of Texas Pr

Summary

Humane ideals were central to the image Athenians had of themselves and their city during the classical period. Tragic plays, which formed a part of civic education, often promoted pity and compassion. But it is less clear to what extent Athenians embraced such ideals in daily life. How were they expected to respond, emotionally and pragmatically, to the suffering of other people? Under what circumstances? At what risk to themselves? In this book, Rachel Hall Sternberg draws on evidence from Greek oratory and historiography of the fifth and fourth centuries BCE to study the moral universe of the ancient Athenians: how citizens may have treated one another in times of adversity, when and how they were expected to help. She develops case studies in five spheres of everyday life: home nursing, the ransom of captives, intervention in street crimes, the long-distance transport of sick and wounded soldiers, and slave torture. Her close reading of selected narratives suggests that Athenians embraced high standards for helping behaviour-at least toward relatives, friends, and some fellow citizens. Meanwhile, a subtle discourse of moral obligation strengthened the bonds that held Athenian society together, encouraging individuals to bring their personal behaviour into line with the ideals of the city-state.

Author Biography

Rachel Hall Sternberg is Assistant Professor of Classics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Home Nursing	p. 21
The Ransom of Captives	p. 42
Bystander Intervention	p. 76
The Transport of Sick and Wounded Soldiers	p. 104
The Judicial Torture of Slaves	p. 146
Conclusions	p. 174
Notes	p. 183
Works Cited	p. 211
Indexes	p. 227
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