Ἄλκηστις

Admetus, king of Pherae, learned from Apollo that his death was fast approaching. If, however, he could find someone willing to descend to the underworld in his place, he would continue to live. It was a reward that Phoebus offered in return for his generous treatment years prior while forced to serve out his punishment as a herdsman to the king. Admetus sought out his slaves and family members in hopes that someone would accept death on his behalf. Alcestis, his wife, was the only one willing to sacrifice herself. With this agreement in place, Death then comes to the palace brandishing a sword with which he will cut a lock of Alcestis’ hair; this frees the soul of the woman from her body which had already begun to decay. The mourning which falls upon the house is suddenly interrupted by an unexpected visit: it’s Heracles. Once welcomed to the king’s table, he indulges in revelry and excess, completely unaware of what had just happened to the household. When he learns of their loss, in an effort to redeem his absence of tact he descends into Hades, defeats the powers of the underworld, then returns Alcestis to dwell once more among the living.

In addition to being the first work of Euripides available to us today, the dramatic tale of Alcestis is shrouded in a fairytale-like haze and retains a deeply ambiguous position in classical theater. If on the one hand the happy ending and the comedic absurdity of some dialogue within the work have permitted some to classify it as a satyr play, on the other hand one cannot escape the profound tragedy and paradox captured by the image of an Alcestis who returns from the underworld silent and still veiled.

In this course, conducted entirely in Ancient Greek, we will rediscover the first work of Euripides which centers on the storied literary archetype of a wife who exchanges her own life for that of her husband. It is a tradition that spans the Indo-European landscape from Scandinavia to the Iberian peninsula, from Asia Minor to India.

In this unit we will read the most significant excerpts from Euripides’ Alcestis, comprising the prologue featuring the dialogue between Apollo and Death, as well as the enigmatic conclusion in which Heracles brings back a shrouded and silent Alcestis.

This part of the course will take place in seminar format via zoom (webinar) every Saturday from 17:00 to 18:15 CET.

Each seminar will be conducted entirely in Ancient Greek (Attic).

Each session will be recorded and made available up for 12 months.

Part 2: Writing and Conversation in Ancient Greek

Each of these sessions will be designed to provide participants with an opportunity to converse with one another and engage with them face to face on the Zoom platform.

Each of these special exercises will likewise be recorded and made available for the duration of the course.

Last day to Register: 7 March 2025

Enrollment in both parts or only one part of the course is possible (see the columns below for more information).

Program schedule

Enrollment in both parts or only one part of the course is possible (see the columns below for more information).