Retrieving and preparing the dead; The Suppliant Women, Euripides

 

Why you might read The Suppliant Women?

This play gives greater insight into supplication in the ancient Greek world. It also reminds us of the procedure that is normally followed in ancient Greece. How personal rulers would take that process being disallowed. Even if only by one of the warring factions.

In my self-education project, it also serves to complete the Theban war. We saw this start with the sack on Thebes' seven gates. It also highlights the autonomy of different Greek cities. As well as how politics was debated between them.

The Story of The Suppliant Women

We find Aethra, mother of the king of Athens, as a supplicant to Demeter at Eleusis in Athens' jurisdiction. She is surrounded by the chorus of supplicants and they have ritually bound her there to hear their plea.

Theseus, her son, comes looking for her, as she has not returned, and finds her trapped so. He enquires of Adrastus what they are supplicant for. He is told of Argos' defeat at Thebes. They attacked to try and recapture his son-in-law's inheritance. He did this even though the gods through an oracle warned him not to. He pleads with Theseus to go and retrieve their dead for burial as the Thebans will not allow them to have them. This is a point of common Greek law that the dead can be removed even by the losers to be buried. Theseus at first refuses, chastising Adrastus for such an ill-thought-through war. His mother rebukes him and reminds him that his honour is based on doing what is right. She also reminds him that to not do it would be called a coward. 

Theseus takes the problem to the council and wins approval. He is just charging a herald to go to Thebes when one arrives from Thebes. The herald demands that they turn Adrastus out and do not come to his aid. There is then a short side track as the herald and Theseus argue about forms of government. Contrasting absolute monarchy of the Thebans with the elected office of the Athenians. He sends the message back to Thebes to give up the dead or they will go to war.

War is announced and the menfolk go to fight. A messenger returns with news that the Athenians are victorious. He tells of how they won the battle. The Thebans retreated to the wall. Theseus did not chase them as he had recovered the bodies. And their recovery was his only goal. Adrastus asks the messenger where the dead are to be buried. Their preparation is assured and everything is in hand.

The bodies arrive and are eulogised about before the decision is made to make on pyre and tomb for Capaneus. Shortly after Capaneus' widow arrives. She contrives to throw herself on his pyre and be with him in death. Her father Iphis pleads with her not to but is helpless to stop her. After she dies he laments his age and childless state.

The sons of the seven dead from Thebes enter carrying the urns of the fathers' bones. Their grandmothers are with them. Theseus goes to let them leave but Athene appears. She tells him not to let them leave until Adrastus swears and Oath. This oath is that Argos will never again attack Athens and will come to her aid in times of trouble. 

Reflections on The Suppliant Women

It is interesting to see the funeral process played out as part of a play. It shows us that the most common form of burial was that of the bones after the funeral pyre. And that before the funeral pyre the body was reassembled into its proper places. This suggests that it was not uncommon for a body to be at least partially dismembered. It is also interesting that there is no comment about decomposition. When you consider that the bodies were lying out in the field for a while. For as long as it took the supplicants to get to Athens and for the Athenian army to march to Thebes and back. Then again this is entertainment for the masses and maybe it was seen as unnecessary detail for a play. It is far to easy for me to slip back into thinking of these as history and forgetting the audience aspect.

It is amazing the difference having the gods on your side is seen to give. The king of Argos goes to war against the will of the gods. Due to this, he loses badly. This is given as a fact and nothing is said about the size of his army or the quality of his men. He is also the instigator in this war, and so has all the time he wants for planning and preparation. Then the king of Athens goes to war against the same opponent with the blessing of the gods. Even if this blessing is only by implication. He is defending the practice of allowing the dead to be removed from the battlefield even by the losers. With this blessing, he wins. Again nothing is said about the number or quality of his men. Nothing is said either of the fact that both sides agreed to and knew about the war. There was no surprise attack here. There would not have been much time for the Athenians to prepare. It would have just been calling together the army and marching. All this and yet the outcome is seen to come down to the gods blessing.

Athene's inclusion in the play is a little odd. She reminds Theseus of the best course of action. She does not add any knowledge that the mortals present did not know. As such the recommendation could have come from anyone already present. Theseus could have required that oath without prompting.

The interlude between Theseus and the herald from Thebes is quite interesting. The herald is quite strident in his opinion and almost combative with Theseus. Theseus on the other hand while just a strident is a lot more laid back in his answers to the herald. He does reprimand the herald for bringing it up at all as it is not his place to comment. 

What others have to say about The Suppliant Women

From Classical Literature "Funeral rites were very important to the ancient Greeks and the theme of not allowing the bodies of the dead to be buried occurs many times."

"It does add to the myth surrounding the defeat of the Argives at Thebes." From Ancient history encyclopedia

Comparisons with other texts

Like the Children of Heracles, we start the play with supplicants. Unlike the children of Heracles, these are not our main characters for the rest of the play. They rather they bring into view and affect the main character, Theseus. We also see his mother ceremonially trapped at the alter by the other supplicants. This seems to be an effort to gain her ear personally as much about gaining the ear of the god in question. It is interesting that Theseus' mother was on her way to pay tribute to the gods about another matter. It is also interesting that there was a way to keep her there. It must have been well established across the ancient Greek world. For it is foreigners from Argos that knew enough to bind her.

This is the first time we have seen, in direct action, the grief of a wife. It has not been unusual to see the grief of mothers. This we even see in this play as well, but the grief of this wife is severe and new to us. She is said to have run from home, presumably Argo's, to die on her husbands funeral pyre. It is interesting to note the way the play is set out. If they had not had to have fight for the bodies she may not have arrived in time.

Unlike Euripides Electra, the story is not one predominately of revenge. Rather this is wanting a proper burial for their sons, in the case of the suppliants. For Theseus, it is about protecting the values of the time. Though it is like Antigone where we see a sister desperate to bury her brother. The two plays are based on the same events the attempted sack of Thebes by seven champions. This play details the burial of the champions. Whereas Antigone deals with the burial of the son of Oedipus who lost at the head of Argos' army. 

Conclusion

We have looked at how important burial of the dead after battle was to the Greeks. As well as the interesting universality of supplication in the Greek world. We have also discussed what we can glean about the burial rights in ancient Greece. 

This play also sits after and alongside the plays Antigone and Seven against Thebe. It serves to complete the picture of Athens involvement in the war. Which is otherwise a war between Argos and Thebes.

Have you read The Suppliant Women? If so what did you think of it? 
 
Want to read The Suppliant Women but haven't? Please leave me a comment and let me know why you want to read it.

Hopefully, this post inspires you to take the time to look into it on your own journey of Self Education.

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