Hippolytus
by Euripides · Ἱππόλυτος
Assigned by 4 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 428 BCE
- Form
- Tragedy
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 80 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendEuripides I (The Complete Greek Tragedies), translated by David GreneUniversity of Chicago Press, 2013Standard scholarly translation in the series most programs use; the volume also contains Alcestis, Medea and The Heracleidae.
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Aphrodite, insulted by the young hunter Hippolytus, who worships only the virgin Artemis and scorns sex, makes his stepmother Phaedra fall hopelessly in love with him. Phaedra resolves to starve herself rather than speak, but her nurse extracts the secret and tells Hippolytus, who reacts with a tirade against women. Phaedra hangs herself, leaving a note accusing him of rape. His father Theseus curses him with a wish granted by Poseidon; a bull from the sea wrecks his chariot, and Artemis arrives too late to save him.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Hippolytus are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
