Uncovered Euripides fragments are 'kind of a big deal'
Two University of Colorado Boulder scholars discovered significant fragments of lost tragedies by Euripides, revealing new content from "Polyidus" and "Ino," enhancing understanding of classical literature.
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Two scholars from the University of Colorado Boulder have identified significant new fragments of lost tragedies by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides, marking the most important discovery in this area in over fifty years. The fragments were found on a papyrus sent by Basem Gehad, an archaeologist from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which was excavated from the ancient site of Philadelphia in Egypt. The scholars, Yvona Trnka-Amrhein and John Gibert, spent months analyzing the papyrus, which contains 98 lines, and confirmed that it includes previously unknown material from two plays, "Polyidus" and "Ino." While 22 lines were known in different versions, approximately 80 percent of the content is new.
"Polyidus" recounts a Cretan myth where the seer Polyidus revives the son of King Minos, while "Ino" presents a new plot twist involving the titular character as a victim rather than a villain. The findings are set to be presented at the Ninth Fountain Symposium at CU Boulder, featuring discussions with experts in the field. The scholars are preparing to share their work at various institutions, including Dartmouth and Harvard, and are eager for feedback from the academic community. This discovery not only enriches the understanding of Euripides' work but also highlights the ongoing relevance of classical studies.
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- Many express enthusiasm for the significance of the find and its potential impact on classical literature.
- Commenters reflect on the scarcity of surviving works from ancient playwrights, noting the vast number of lost plays.
- Some share personal connections to Euripides' works, quoting lines or discussing their favorite plays.
- There are mentions of related literary works and projects, highlighting ongoing interest in classical themes.
- Technical curiosity arises regarding the methods used to recover and analyze the fragments.
12 commentsThen there’s this:
The two scholars have also recently discovered the upper half of a colossal statue of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramesses II in their joint excavation project at Hermopolis Magna.
Percy Bysshe Shelley is practically shouting from the grave.
I MET A TRAVELER FROM AN ANTIQUE LAND…
The man who would prefer great wealth or strength
more than love, more than friends
is diseased of soul[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysia
Edit: Reading the article, I'm surprised they don't seem to have done any computer-based textual analysis of the authorship. We have other plays attributed to Euripides so matching 98 lines of text shouldn't be too difficult.
I always love to hear about a school or organization that says "Hey everyone! We are going to store the central digital index and database of the thing we care about. Come check it out!"
It's set after Sicily defeats Athens in the Peloponnesian War. Two unemployed potters decide to stage two plays by Euripides using the Athenian prisoners kept in the infamous quarry.
Really enjoyable tragi-comedy.
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