February 15, 2024: Classical Studies Speaker Series
Lawrence Kim, Trinity University
"Dio Chrysostom, Or. 52: On Aeschylus as an 'Archaic' Author"
In this talk, I examine the view of Aeschylus put forward by Dio Chrysostom in his essay comparing the Philoctetes plays of the three great Athenian tragedians (Or. 52). I am interested in the way that Dio, while vigorously defending Aeschylus and insisting upon his greatness, nevertheless acknowledges that the playwright, unlike Sophocles and Euripides, is something of an anachronism. For Dio, Aeschylus is a problem—a canonical, classical author, no doubt, but one that does not quite exemplify the aesthetic and stylistic values that ‘classical’ authors are supposed to possess. My contention is that in the course of defending Aeschylus, Dio characterizes him as an archaic author (τὸ ἀρχαῖον: 52.4-5) in contrast to his younger ‘classical’ compatriots, seeing Aeschylus’ oft-criticized ‘simplicity’ (τὸ ἁπλοῦν: 52.7; 11; 15) less as an aesthetic failure than as a mark of his ethical superiority. In doing so, however, Dio manages to ‘save’ Aeschylus’ reputation only by treating him as someone whose style, plotting, and ethics are those of a bygone era, no longer appreciated by the classicizing readers of Dio’s own time. A look at other examples of Aeschylus-reception in the period will reveal that Dio’s attitude reflects a broader anxiety about Aeschylus’ place in the canon that has characterized his reception ever since.
4:30 PM
Location: Sycamore Hall 210
Contact Alyson Melzer (almelzer@iu.edu) for more info!
The College of Arts