Sunday, March 20, 468Est. 490 Price 2d

Victory!

The Drama TimesThe Oracle

Allyson BehrensEach week the Oracle selects three lucky individuals to receive a glimpse into their future. This week, in honor of our new theater, the oracle has selected Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides. Only the Oracle can foresee what the future holds for these young gentlemen. Continued 4A

Entertainment 7AComics and games

Interview

ReviewsPlaysOur critic attends the new comedy “The Knights” from playwright Aristophanes and shares his honest opinion. Continued 3A

TheaterOur theater critic analyzes the Theater of Dionysus.

Continued 6A

Virginie

Yang We talk to Sophocles about his new trilogy, Oedipus and his future plans. Continued 5A

We have beaten Xerxes and his Persian army. Outnumbered, our Greek fleet used great cunning and smart strategies to fool the Persians, allowing for our victory. Our great Father of Drama, Aeschylus, shares his experiences of the battle. Continued 2A

Jackie Leary

The night was passing, and the Grecian hostBy no means sought to issue forth unseen.But when indeed the day with her white steedsHeld all the earth, resplendent to behold,First from the Greeks the loud-resounding dinOf song triumphant came; and shrill at onceEcho responded from the island rock.Then upon all barbarians terror fell,Thus disappointed; for not as for flightThe Hellenes sang the holy pæan then,But setting forth to battle valiantly.The bugle with its note inflamed them all;And straightway with the dip of plashing oarsThey smote the deep sea water at command,And quickly all were plainly to be seen.Their right wing first in orderly arrayLed on, and second all the armamentFollowed them forth; and meanwhile there was heardA mighty shout: “Come, O ye sons of Greeks,Make free your country, make your children free,Your wives, and fanes of your ancestral gods,And your sires’ tombs! For all we now contend!”And from our side the rush of Persian speechReplied. No longer might the crisis wait.

At first the current of the Persian hostWithstood; but when within the strait the throngOf ships was gathered, and they could not aidEach other, but by their own brazen bowsWere struck, they shattered all our naval host.The Grecian vessels not unskillfullyWere smiting round about; the hulls of shipsWere overset; the sea was hid from sight,Covered with wreckage and the death of men;The reefs and headlands were with corpses filled,And in disordered flight each ship was rowed,As many as were of the Persian host.But they, like tunnies or some shoal of fish,With broken oars and fragments of the wrecksStruck us and clove us; and at once a cryOf lamentation filled the briny sea,Till the black darkness’ eye did rescue us.The number of our griefs, not though ten daysI talked together, could I fully tell;But this know well, that never in one dayPerished so great a multitude of men.

Aeschylus

Aeschylus shares his experience of the battle with us in a poem: Victory! ctnd. 2A

At once ship smote on ship with brazen beak;A vessel of the Greeks began the attack,Crushing the stem of a Phoenician ship.Each on a different vessel turned its prow.

The Persian Invasions have influenced much of Aeschylus' writings and rumor has it that the Battle of Salamis and Xerxes will make appearances in Aeschylus' new trilogy The Oresteia.•

Aeschylus fought in both the Battle of Marathon and

Salamis

3A

speaking parts in the play. The masks they use for disguise and the skene are beautifully rendered. The actors play their parts well, specifically the sections where Cleon and Agoracritus resort to childish yelling at one another. It grows louder and louder before terminating in nearly incoherent streams of insults. This play is definitely worth risking the offense it might cause the powerful men of Athens. With this offering Aristophanes has risen to a new level.•

Greg BarnesAristophanes’ comedy “The Knights” is currently showing at the theatre in Athens. In this writer’s opinion it is well worth it just to hear the playwright’s response to Cleon’s disapproval. The play clearly labels the aforementioned demagogue as an inequitable and cajoling public figure. Starting with the characters of Demosthenes and Nicias to the Knights played by the Chorus every character has multiple lines laced with funny. The humor is subtle at times and juvenile at others. The comedic performance centers on the struggle between Cleon and Agoracritus to determine who will be the steward of Demos. As is customary three actors play all of the main

A Knight of Laughter

Oracle ctd. 4ASophocles

You will marry twice throughout your life and will father two sons. You will win first place in the Dionysian competition of Athens twenty times. Of the times you do not win you will never receive lower than second place. You will not only be known as an accomplished playwright but you will also serve in the military and in government. You will pass away at nearly one hundred years old in the year 405 BC. Before your death you will have written over one hundred plays, many of which will be lost over time. Seven of your plays will survive, including Oedipus the King which will remain the most well known of all the Greek tragedies. (Scribd)

AeschylusThroughout your life you will write approximately ninety plays. Only seven will survive over time. In 1990 AD, approximately 2000 years after it had initially been lost, your play, Achilles, will be discovered in Egypt among the remains of an ancient mummy. You will spend much of your life fighting the war against the Persians. You will write a play about the war which will become an important tool in the understanding of this time in Greek history. Your life will end abruptly in Gela in the year 456 BC when a turtle is dropped on your head by a Lammergeyer. Gela will create a monument in your honor. Before your death you will personally create the inscription for your gravestone. It will bear no mention of your accomplishments as a writer but instead focus on your accomplishments in the military. The inscription will read "This gravestone covers Aeschylus, son of Euphorion, from Athens, who died in fertile Gela. The field of Marathon will speak of his bravery, and so will the longhaired Mede who learnt it well." You will be forever remembered for your addition of the second actor to drama. (Crystal Links)

EuripidesIt is sad to say that you will not be appreciated for your accomplishment until long after your death in 406 BC. At the Dionysian competitions, you will win the fewest prizes of all the tragedians. Throughout the course of your life you will write over ninety plays. You will have the largest number of complete plays to survive with a total of eighteen and fragments of a nineteenth. Your play Cyclops will be the only complete satyr play to survive. You will be remembered as the most intellectual poet of your time and called the philosopher of the stage.• (enotes)

INTERVIEW WITH SOPHOCLESSophocles born in 495 B.C. in Colonus is one of the greatest playwrights of the golden age of Greek Drama. He is son of a wealthy merchant and enjoys all the comforts of a thriving Greek empire. He studied all of the arts. At age twenty-eight with his studies complete, he was ready to compete in the City Dionysia where a festival is held every year at the Theatre of Dionysus in which new plays are presented. He is here with us today:

Virginie: “Why did you decide to give up acting in your own plays?”Sophocles: “Well, in my first competition, in 468 B.C. I took first prize defeating none other than Aeschylus himself. As an accomplished actor, I thought I act in many more of my own plays. However, my voice was comparatively weak, and eventually I gave up acting career to pursue other ventures, which bring me to the Oedipus Trilogy.”

Virginie: “Why is the play “Oedipus Trilogy” written in three sections?”Sophocles: “The Oedipus Trilogy is a novel that deals with destiny and fate. The spectators are shown a series of events plotted out from which Oedipus one of the main character cannot escape. At the beginning of the play, we must remember our Greek society is based around myths and legends.. We have a series of gods and muses and fates to explain why things happen. That is the reason why the play has three sections.

Virginie: “So can you tell us what the Oedipus Trilogy is about?”Sophocles: “Sure. “Antigone” is written first in 442 B.C. and is actually the ending of the Trilogy. The play that wraps together the final events of these characters’ sad lives begins in Thebes. After her father’s death, Antigone has returned to the royal palace where she was raised. Her two brothers Eteocles and Polynices are killed each other in war, as foretold by their father. The new king, Creon, gives an honorable burial to one of his nephews, Eteocles, but there is no such mercy for Polynices. Declaring him a traitor, Creon forbids burial of his corpse and promises death to anyone who disobeys this order. Antigone disobey and bury her brother which trigger the drama. I will let you read it. Next I wrote “Oedipus the King” in 441 B.C., which is the story of a child Oedipus born to the royal couple, Laius and Jocasta. The old king is warned that his son will kill him. In order to avoid fate, they abandon the infant, on the mountainside. Rescued by the shepherd he is delivered to the royal palace at Corinth by a Messenger. Oedipus is raised as the son of the royal house. Life there is good, until Oedipus learns that a prophecy has chosen him as the murderer of his father and the husband of his mother. Hoping to avoid his fate, he leaves the palace. Soon, the wandering Oedipus meets and kills a stranger at a crossroads, and part of the oracle’s prophecy is fulfilled. He doesn’t know, but the murdered stranger is Laius, his real father. Continuing his journey, Oedipus enters Thebes—his forgotten first home—as a hero, being the only one to have solved the riddle of the murderous Sphinx. Oedipus’ reward for solving the riddle is marriage to Jocasta, the Queen of Thebes and widow of Laius. Jocasta doesn’t recognize Oedipus as her son, and this ill-fated marriage goes forward. Jocasta figures out the secret and kills herself. When he discovers her body, Oedipus puts out his own eyes. The play closes with Oedipus mourning the destruction of his family, apologizing to his daughters, and begging Creon, the new king and Jocasta’s brother, for banishment. His wish is granted. The girls become their Uncle Creon’s wards, but their ill-fated brothers are left to look out for themselves. The final play written in 406 B.C. “”, which features the blind former king as a shattered old man. His daughter, Antigone, is his loyal companion. Wandering together, they come upon a sacred grove that is protected by the Furies, who are also known as the Eumenides—the protectors of Athens. When he discovers where he is, Oedipus realizes that the last piece of the prophecy foretelling his life is about to be fulfilled. If he is granted shelter there and dies on Athenian soil, his body will draw the blood of the invading force of Thebes. Back home in Thebes, his two sons are fighting over the throne Oedipus abandoned, and Polynices comes to him seeking help. Oedipus greets his son, with the curse of mutual fratricidal murder. When the play ends, that curse has been fulfilled. Polynices and Eteocles have killed each other in battle. The final tragedy of the family cycle will unwind in Antigone, when their doomed sister meets her own fate.So basically it is the destruction of the two royal families is spanned through all three plays.

Virginie: “Wow that is breath taking. I am going to have to go and see it for myself. I have one last question for you. Do you have any other plans in the future maybe writing more plays, or invest in other interest?”Sophocles: “Sure, I am currently writing my next play, but I won’t disclose any information with you today. I am taking care of my sons. And I am looking into politics.•

Work Cited

L. Kalmanson. "The Oedipus Trilogy: Introduction." Epics for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 0. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 13 March 2011. <http://www.enotes.com/oedipus-trilogy/introduction>.

“Oedipus Trilogy”. The Literature Network. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

“Oedipus”. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2011

Professor Robin Mitchell-Boyask. “Biography of Sophocles”. College of Liberal Arts. Temple University. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

“Sophocles Biography”. Pink Monkey. Web. 12 Mar. 2011

Wilson, Andrew. “Antigone”. The Classics Pages. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

5A

Theater of Dionysus

6AThere are four major components of the Theater.Orchestra: ‘dancing space’- The chorus uses this space to dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage near the skene. Theatron: ‘viewing place’- Is where the spectators will be seen sitting viewing the play.Skene: ‘tent’- This area is directly behind the stage and has access to the roof. The tent is where actors enter and exit. The actors also use the passageways to enter and exit the theater.Parodos: ‘passageways’-This area of the theater is used for entrance and exits after plays for the audience.•

It was here in Athens in 340 BC the world’s first theater built of stone and the birthplace of Greek tragedy was built. The Theater of Dionysus was originally a place to honor the god Dionysus. The Theater of Dionysus is an outside theater that seats 17,000 spectators having nearly 300,000 show up to see a play. The plays are performed in the daytime, with a chorus that includes three actors, who wear mask that have exaggerated facial expressions. Plays by great playwrights such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes will be performed at this theater. The plays will only be performed once.

Amechon Blackwell

7AEntertainment

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AESCHYLUS ORCHESTRA AGE ORESTEIA ANTIGONE PERSIANSCHORUS SKENE COMEDY SOPHOCLES DIONYSUS THEATERDRAMA THEATRON EURIPEDES THEBES GOLDEN TRILOGYGREECE XERXES OEDIPUS

Word Search

Works CitedBattles of Marathon and Salamis. n.d. Skidmore University. Skidmore.edu. Web. 13 Mar.2011.

Christina. “History Lesson<1000 Words “The Battle of Salamis.”” 30POV.com. n.p. 13 June 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.

Ellis, Crystal. “Aeschylus.” CrystalinksGetty Images. Battle of Salamis. n.d. Life.com. Web. 13 Mar. 2011.

Englert, Walter. “Ancient Greek Theater.” reed.edu. Hum110 Tech. n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.

“Euripedes.” enotes.com. enotes.com, inc

Harris, S. “What a Lousy Season…” n.d. Cartoonstock.com. Web. 26 Feb. 2011.

Hemingway, Colette, and Sean Hemingway. "Ancient Greek Colonization and Trade and Their Influence on Greek Art | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org. July 2007. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.

Gonzalez, Grisel. “The Theater of Dionysus.” Grisel.net. n.p. n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

L. Kalmanson. "The Oedipus Trilogy: Introduction." Epics for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 0. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 13 March 2011. Jolley, Richard. “I warned you Oedipus…” n.d. Cartooonstock.com. Web. 1 Mar. 2011.

Kippen, Cameron. "Shoe Styles of Ancient Greece: Krepis (Crepida)." History of Sandals. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.

“Oedipus.” Wikipedia.com. n.p. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

“Oedipus Trilogy.” The Literature Network. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

Professor Robin Mitchell-Boyask. “Biography of Sophocles”. College of Liberal Arts. Temple University. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

“Sophocles Biography”. Pink Monkey.com. n.p. n.d.Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

Wilson, Andrew. “Antigone”. The Classics Pages. n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2011.

Wu, Josephine. “Sophocles Thirty Facts.” Scribd.com. Scribd Inc. n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.

Interesting WebsitesInterviewhttp://www.enotes.com/oedipus-trilogy/introduction

Theater Reviewhttp://www.grisel.net/dionysus.htmhttp://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/theater.htmlhttp://www.greece-athens.com/page.php?page_id=246

Oraclehttp://www.scribd.com/full/49442208?access_key=key-1xsc7q2n7uqsdtj5mztphttp://www.crystalinks.com/aeschylus.htmlhttp://www.enotes.com/authors/euripides

Play Reviewhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/angk/hd_angk.htmhttp://historyofsandals.blogspot.com/2010/12/krepis-crepida.html

Gameshttp://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/Fun Puzzle created by Allyson: http://two.flash-gear.com/npuz/puz.php?c=v&id=2817544&k=76490213

Comicshttp://www.cartoonstock.com