Mythology, Tragedy and the Rise of the Political in Ancient Greece
Author: Sy-Shyan Chen
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
This is a study about the origins of the concept of the political in the early and middle Greek culture, especially in Athens. Tragedies and mythologies provide valuable information about the formation of the political consciousness in the Hellenic eras in which polis is the main form of political life. It is indicated that tragedies are good source of political education and the playwrights are political educators of the most effective sort. Aeschylus and Sophocles have been selected for discussions, and it is argued that several main themes in political thought and the fundamental ideas necessary for the state-building do receive proper handling in the hands of the tragedians. It is they who help to shape and offer vital substance for the mature political thought to come in later decades. The early political consciousness, as articulated in the literary works which appear in public performances, does to a good extent dictate the form and themes of subsequent more specialized discourses.