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Hellenic Studies Folio #4 from the Center for Hellenic Studies

December 1, 2020
Painting of Oedipus, having just gouged out his own eyes, exits the palace and appears before the people of Thebes.
Painting of Oedipus, having just gouged out his own eyes, exits the palace and appears before the people of Thebes.
"Oedipus Rex" (1895) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919); oil on canvas; Private Collection. Image via WikiArt - Visual Art Encyclopedia.

Oedipus as a lens on government and society

  • In the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles, the people of Thebes honored Oedipus as their sōtēr, their savior. How can his receiving of such an honor be justified?
  • What power do metaphors of disintegration and reintegration have to help us understand social phenomena?
  • Why was Sophocles so interested in portraying the incompetent deliberation of kings and tyrants in his tragedies, especially those set in Thebes?

A discussion with Gregory Nagy about Oedipus as the potential savior of Thebes

Video of 20 minutes (watch from 00:00 to 12:30 and from 21:53 to 29:33).

Notes from a presentation on themes of disintegration in society, leadership, and romantic love as represented in classical Greek literature, Greek biblical texts, and American popular songs

Essay of approximately 5,000 words.

A Reverend delivering a speech.
Still image from The Night of the Iguana (1964), with Richard Burton playing the character of Reverend Shannon.

Disintegration and Reintegration

"Extra credit" video viewing:

Lecture by Edith Hall on conceptions of tyranny in Sophocles and Aristotle; video of approximately 70 minutes (start at 38:15).