Rhesus [in translation]

I’m in the midst of reading Homer’s The Iliad again, at Book 10 I paused to read this play; it broadly replays the scene that is played out here. The Trojans have the upper hand and send a scout out to confirm if the defeated Aegean’s are leaving not foreseeing what’s to come.

I have 2 translations of this play, one by Richard Emil Braun (1978) and the other by John Davie (2005), the introduction to both has differing opinions, one highlights its bias and the other how neutral it is; this also comes across in their translations (in Braun’s Hector is less arrogant than Davie’s translation).

This is one of Euripides’s shortest where there is also doubt it was written by him. As a read they were interesting for me as additional show more readings, so not fun, leisurely reads but fascinating to see how Book 10 was retold: the biggest change being in The Iliad Rhesus is barely a line, in the play he has a duologue with Hector.

Reading two translations also helped me to verify my reading of this play: I read the Davie’s translation first where the chorus seemed to be of different speaking parts, the Braun translation confirmed this. Reading these also filled a few more gaps for me about The Iliad, which I’ve read this several times now but I’m still discovering more with each reread. show less

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this story. It’s remarkably unsatisfactory. Hector gets to be self-righteous, and Odysseus gets to be an evil sneak-theif and assassin, but the tale does nothing to change the status quo, and leaves one with the sense of an episode that could easily be left out, for its inclusion or excision changes nothing.

This was a straightforward, succinct, and concise play by Euripides. The language was stark and less poetic than expected, but the flow of action and its effects were justified, comprehensible, and enjoyable. Overall, a decent play.

3.5 stars.

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