Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus the King is well-known. Few, however, know that Aeschylus wrote a dramatic trilogy about the family of Oedipus. Aeschylus’s The Seven against Thebes, the only surviving play from the trilogy, deals with Oedipus’ son Eteocles, who defends Thebes from an army of attackers led by his own brother Polyneices. Eteocles, like Oedipus, is unable to understand his part in the complex matrix of life. In this talk, Timothy Wutrich, an instructor in the Department of Classics, considers the success of Aeschylus’s trilogy when it was first produced in 467 B.C. and its place in Greek theater history.
A pre-lecture reception will begin at 4:15 pm.
Free and open to the public. Registration recommended.
About the speaker
Timothy Wutrich
Timothy Wutrich is the author of the book Prometheus and Faust: The Promethean Revolt in Drama from Classical Antiquity to Goethe. At present he divides his scholarly interests into three spheres. He is interested in all aspects of ancient Greek and Roman drama (especially the relationship between Homer and Attic tragedy, and the rise, fall, and Nachleben of Latin drama), Vergil (especially the heroic tradition and the Aeneid), and the Classical Tradition (especially the reception of the Homeric hero in postclassical literature and the arts).
At CWRU, Dr. Wutrich has taught all levels of Latin, Greek Tragedy, Greek and Roman literature surveys, Greek and Roman civilization, and Greek and Latin elements (etymology). He also regularly teaches in the university’s SAGES program.
Dr. Wutrich is associate director of the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities and a member of the Baker-Nord Center’s Steering Committee. In the Department of Classics, he is director of the classical tradition track and a member of the World Literature Steering Committee.