Euripides Trivia

1. In the start of "Andromache", the heroine has come to the altar of which goddess to find refuge?

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Thetis

The play narrates the story of Andromache, the wife of the Trojan hero Ector. After the destruction of Troy, Andromache is held as slave by Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles with whom she has a child that tries to protect from Neoptolemus' wife, Hermione and her father, Menelaus, the King of Sparta. Euripides' portrayal of Menelaus in the play is in accordance with the prevalent feelings about Spartans in Athens during the Pelopponesian War era, in which the play was written.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: Corinth

Medea was originally from Colchis, but came to live in Corinth with Jason.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: The god Dionysus

In fact, the first thing he says is "I am Dionysus", and then he goes on to explain why he's annoyed at his mortal relatives.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Glauce

That decision by Jason caused Medea to devise a plot of assassinating Glauce and her father, Creon of Corinth. She sends Glauce poisoned robes with her own children as couriers. Both Glauce and Creon die as a result. To furthermore devastate and hurt Jason, she stabs both her children. When Jason arrives, eager to punish Medea for the death of Glauce, learns about the children's fate. Medea is carried unto Olympus upon the chariot of the god Helios, taking the bodies with them so that she can bury them in Hera's precinct.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: Glauce

Jason betroths himself to Glauce.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: Asian women who follow the god Dionysus

Not to be confused with the maenads, whom Dionysus/Bacchus has driven mad.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Apollo

The play starts years after the incident and Creusa, now the wife of Xuthus, a nobleman who won her with helping the Athenians at a war goes to the Oracle of Delphi to find out if Creusa can bear him a son. Meanwhile, Ion was raised by a priestess of the temple and became an attendant there. In a brief meeting, Ion reveals to Creusa that he always wanted to learn who his real mother was. Subsequently, Xuthus goes inside the temple and he is told that the first person he encounters upon exiting the sanctuary would be his natural son. When he exits, he meets Ion and invites him to accompany him to Athens. Creusa, thinks Xuthus considers her incapable of bearing children, confesses everything to an old tutor of hers. He advises her to kill the young man, in order to avenge Apollo for forsaking her. But her scheme fails and she is now persecuted by the Athenians. Creusa runs to the altar of Apollo, where she meets Ion and finally proves him she is his mother. She also tells him that Apollo is his real father. Then, the god intervenes and it is agreed that Xuthus be left with the assumption that Ion is his son.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: A robe and a crown

Medea says "They shall take to the princess a costly robe and a golden crown".

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Theoclymenus

The play is based on the story of Helen of Troy, found in Homer's Iliad, but the storyline is in disagreement with Homer's. In the play, Helen never went to Troy but was abducted by Hermes, who acted on behalf of Hera and transfers her to Egypt while Paris has carried with him an "eidolon", a phantom look-alike. After King Proteus, who was protecting Helen, dies his son Theoclymenus wants to marry the heroine. Helen seeks refuge in Proteus' tomb, outside the palace. There Teuker, the brother of Aias of Salamis, stumbles upon Helen and tells her he is going to Cyprus to found a city named Salamis, exiled by his father. He also tells her that Menelaus, Helen's husband and King of Sparta, is presumed dead and that Helen is now for Greeks a symbol of treachery and infidelity. Desperate, the heroine goes to consult Theonoe, a prophetess and Theoclymenus' sister. Theonoe tells her that Menelaus is alive and is shipwrecked nearby in the country. When Helen returns to the tomb, she encounters Menelaus himself. They finally recognize each other and device a plan to escape. Theoclymenus returns to the palace after having been hunting, and Helen tells him she learned Menelaus is dead and that a fellow castaway, who in fact is Menelaus himself, has brought her the news. She manages to convince him to hold a burial-at-sea for the supposedly dead Menelaus. A ship is given to them to perform the ceremony. Aboard the ship, Menelaus' men overrun the crew and flee. Theoclymenus vows to kill his sister for not revealing to him the presence of Menelaus, but semi-gods Castor and Polydeykes intervene and persuade him not to attempt it.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: A clever woman, skilled in many arts

Creon describes Medea as being "A clever woman, skilled in many arts".

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: Lightning

Semele was struck by lightning just as Dionysus was born.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Phaedra

Hippolytus was an illegitimate son of Theseus, his mother being the Amazon Hippolyta. He stays in Troezen, where his father is in voluntary exile after having murdered a local king. Hippolytus has sworn purity to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and passion, is jealous of Hippolytus for his deed and devises a plot to get revenge on him. She makes Phaedra, Theseus' wife, fall in love with the young man. As a result of her passion, Phaedra refuses to eat or sleep. She confesses to her nurse that it is her desire for Hippolytus that prompts her act this way. The nurse goes to Hippolytus and tells him what is happening, urging him to satisfy Phaedra's lust. But he is not tempted and threatens to tell Theseus everything. Phaedra, believing she is ruined, commits suicide. When Theseus returns, he finds his wife dead and also a letter written by her, where she accuses Hippolytus of raping her. Theseus orders him exiled. Subsequently, the chariot carrying him away is attacked by a bull emerging from the sea and Hippolytus is badly injured. Theseus is initially pleased but Artemis appears and tells him the whole story, clearly blaming Aphrodite. Hippolytus is carried in, mortally wounded. He forgives his father and then dies.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: Delphi

Aegeus is the ruler of Athens.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: They're cousins

Their mothers were sisters.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Agave

The play starts with Dionysus telling the story of his birth: that his mother, Semele, had fallen in love with Zeus and become pregnant. Hera, Zeus' wife, jealous of Semele, persuades her to ask Zeus appear to her with all his brightness and powers. He appears in a lighting bolt, killing the young woman, but the embryo Dionysus is saved and placed in his father's thigh. Semele's family refuses to acknowledge the story and Dionysus comes to Thebes to establish his cult. The women of the city, including Semele's sisters, are fascinated by Dionysus' rituals and follow him. Pentheus, the son of Agave and nephew of Semele, outlaws the practice of such feasts, saying that everybody worshipping Dionysus will be punished. Pentheus' soldiers bring before him Dionysus himself, disguised as a priest. He orders Dionysus imprisoned, but the latter escapes and wreaks havoc in the city as leader of the Menades, fanatical women that possess superhuman strength. Pentheus sends his soldiers to capture the women, but they are able to thwart all of those attempts. Dionysus appears before Pentheus and convinces him to dress up as a woman and see the Menades. Pentheus acts accordingly, and Dionysus directs his followers to attack him. Pentheus' own mother, Agave, beheads him and carries his head as a trophy into the city, thinking it's the head of a lion. When Dionysus' power wears off, she realizes what she has done. Alongside her sisters, she is exiled.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: 2

She kills them both at the end of the play.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: An ivy-covered staff

These are often depicted in vase paintings as tipped with a pine cone. They could be used as walking sticks, weapons and even magic wands.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Admetus

In the play, King Admetus of Pherae was granted by the god Apollo the privilege of living longer than the Fates had decided for him. However, he must find another one to die in his place. His wife, Alcestis, agrees to sacrifice her life for him. Apollo goes to Admetus' palace to inform her that Thanatos, the god of death, is coming as a psychopomp to lead her to the underworld. Apollo tries to persuade Thanatos to let Alcestis live longer, but he refuses. Before dying, Alcestis makes Admetus swear that he will never marry another woman. Subsequently, Herakles, the renowned hero and a friend of Admetus, arrives at the palace unaware of the mourning there. He is told about the situation by a servant and decided to fight with Thanatos during Alcestis' funeral. He wins the fight and, as a result, Alcestis returns to the world of the living. Herakles delivers her to Admetus and departs.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: So nobody else does, and to hurt Jason

She claims that it is the best way to punish Jason, and also she fears a revenge attack on them, after she kills Glauce and Creon.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Iolaus

In the play, Copreus acts on behalf of Eurystheus, the king that had Herakles perform his twelve labors. King Demophon of Athens refuses to surrender them, willing even to fight a war with Eurystheus. However, an oracle says that the Athenians will be victorious only if a virgin is sacrificed to Persephone. Macaria, Herakles' daughter, voluntarily offers herself, and soon allies arrive. During the battle, the old Iolaus temporarily regains his strength and youth, and personally captures Eurystheus. After a debate, Eurystheus is executed and buried, because of a prophecy that said his spirit would protect Athens from the descendants of Herakles' children.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: A messenger

As in almost all instances in Euripidean drama, the messenger comes in to explain to the audience what has happened offstage.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: Dolon

The play begins when suspicious movements by the Greeks come to the attention of Hector's guards. They inform their chieftain, who initially decides to conduct a roll call, but is persuaded by Aeneas to send a spy on the enemy camps. Dolon volunteers. Subsequently, Rhesus, the King of Thrace arrives to help the Trojans after fighting the Scythians who had attacked his kingdom. Odysseus and Diomedes, while setting out to observe the Trojan camp, track down Dolon and kill him. They plan to steal into the Trojan encampment and assassinate Hector, but the goddess Athena guides them to Rhesus' bivouac, where they kill the king and some of his men, taking his famous horses during their escape. Hector realizes that Odysseus was behind the plot. The play closes with the mother of Rhesus, one of the Muses, states that her son will be an immortal, but will be sent to live in a remote cave.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: third

In ancient Greece, playwrights such as Euripides entered their plays into festivals, called Dionysia festival after the God of theatre and wine, Dionysus. They were done as a competition.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: Actaeon

Actaeon was Autonoe's son. He was unlucky enough to annoy Artemis, and she caused his own hounds to tear him to pieces.

From Quiz Towards the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus

Answer: By a scar

In the start of the play, Electra was forced by her mother, Clytemnestra, to marry a peasant, because she fears that if Electra marries a man of her class, her children will avenge Clytemnestra for killing Agamemnon, her husband and Electra's father. For the same reason, Orestes, the son of Agamemnon, was driven out of Mycenae. Years after his exile, Orestes returns with his friend Pylades and ends up in his sister's house. After recognizing each other, the siblings conspire on how to overthrow Clytemnestra and her co-ruler, Aegisthus. They send a servant to tell Clytemnestra that Electra bore a child and to request that she come to Electra's house. Meanwhile, Orestes rushes to the palace and kills Aegisthus, returning with his corpse. Although initially hesitant, he kills his mother, both he and Electra overwhelmed with guilt. Castor and Polydeuces appear, telling them their act had justification but was still shameful and also how to clear their souls from that.

From Quiz Medea

Answer: both Jason and Medea

A tragic hero/heroine is a character who exhibits a fatal flaw, leading to his or her downfall. They were used a lot in Ancient Greek theatre.

From Quiz The Bacchae

Answer: He and his wife are doomed to turn into serpents

Dionysus dooms Cadmus and Harmonia to be transformed into dragonlike beasts and banished to travel distant lands in a donkey cart instead of a chariot. However, he assures them that everything will work out in the end.

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