Euripides, "Ion": Edition and Commentary

622 Pages·2018·2.563 MB·English

by  Gunther Martin

Gunther Martin
Euripides, Ion
TEXTE UND KOMMENTARE
Eine altertumswissenschaftliche Reihe
Herausgegeben von
Michael Dewar, Adolf Köhnken†,
Karla Pollmann, Ruth Scodel
Band 58
De Gruyter
Euripides, Ion
Edition and Commentary

by
Gunther Martin
De Gruyter
ISBN 978-3-11-052255-6
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-052359-1
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-052341-6
ISSN 0563-3087
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Preface
‘Things do not look the same when distant and when seen from close up.’
Ion’s words (585–6) capture in different ways the experience of this commen-
tator. At the outset, the task seemed straightforward: to answer every question
that might be asked. It soon turned out to be unfeasible, and even presump-
tuous. Interpretations of the text that originally seemed compelling came to
seem evasive, as the details of the text pushed themselves to the fore. Initially
I had believed that the constitution of the text was a job practically finished by
earlier generations and that its discussion would not be of great profit to either
myself or the reader; and even though my approach to textual matters has
remained a conservative one (or so at least do I see it), a closer look revealed
that a certain revisiting of textual questions was warranted.
Ion has inspired important readings from scholars with a great variety of
approaches, most notably using structuralist ideas,1 but also feminism, psy-
choanalysis, deconstruction, and cultural studies.2 These treatments make
interesting points, which in some cases shape the modern understanding of
the play. As such they will provide conspicuous leads in the commentary and
underlie the discussion offered. But the primary focus of attention of this
book, partly complementary to that discussion, will be different. It returns
to the details and often challenges foundations of modern readings. This
is an undertaking to provide the reader with a new edition of the Ion and a
commentary that elucidates the play as a self-contained text and sophisti-
cated and dramaturgically effective work. It aims – on the basis of a critical
recension – to help the reader understand what the Greek text means on the
literal level and how the poet has arranged the characters’ words and deeds
in a way so that they form a coherent and cogent dramatic structure. I shall
undertake to trace the intratextual links and the indications the author gives
about the motivations and ‘feelings’ of his characters,3 but most of all the
1 Zeitlin (1989) focuses on the character of Ion: a description of the multiple mirrors
and foils that illustrate Ion’s quest to find out about his identity; Zacharia (2003) offers
a multi-faceted reading of the entire play; Westra (2006) focuses on the relationship
between autochthony and filiation. The interpretations positing a development of
Ion partly follow a structuralist approach.
2 For feminist readings cf. e.g. Rabinowitz (1993); psychoanalysis: Bowlby (2007)
191–215, Pedrick (2007), N. Weiss (2008); deconstruction: Meltzer (2006) 146–87,
Kindt (2007); cultural studies: Ebbott (2003) 77–83, Lape (2010) 95–136, Gödde
(2011) 235–64. An existentialist reading is Albini (1980).
3 Regrettably many interpretations – even textual discussions (cf. 992–7n) –
base arguments on psychological processes for which the text offers no positive
evidence and thus seem to treat dramatic characters as if they had a life outside
the text. Here, any statements about the emotional states of characters are to be
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110523591-202
vi Preface
dynamic of the text, the artfulness of composition, and the dramatic effect
it produces. In this way will it be possible to appreciate a vital part of the
enjoyment the play can bring to its audience.
This commentary has been long in the making. During this period, I have
accumulated personal and scholarly debts to a great number of people. I
have profited from and made the best I could of much advice and (mostly
fair and constructive) criticism. Sections were read by Chris Collard, James
Diggle, Patrick Finglass, Gregory Hutchinson, Tobias Reinhardt, Kathari-
na Roettig (KR in the commentary), Alan Sommerstein (AS), and Walter
Stockert (WS). David Kovacs in addition offered excellent general advice
and let me see parts of his forthcoming commentary on Troades. Help on
specific problems was offered by Herbert Bannert, Esther Eidinow, Solmeng
Hirschi, Maxim Polyakov, Stefan Rebenich, Scott Scullion, and Nick Stylia-
nou. For permission to cite the theses by John Waś and the late James Irvine
I thank the author and Allan Irvine respectively.
My most profound and very special thanks go to Arnd Kerkhecker (AK),
who read and commented on the entire first draft with his usual good sense
and superb feel for texts. He also generously supported its acceptance by the
Faculty of Humanities at the University of Bern as my Habilitationsschrift
in October 2013. He was seconded by Gerlinde Huber-Rebenich, Richard
King, Thomas Späth, and Martin Hose, who also offered rich comments on
the entire draft.
I am grateful to the editors of Texte und Kommentare – in particular to
Ruth Scodel – for accepting this book into the series, to Emanuele Rovati
for his help in preparing the manuscript and the index, to David van Schoor
for polishing the English, and to Katharina Legutke for seeing the volume
through the press. The Fondation Hardt at Vandœuvres and the departments
at Nottingham, Bern, and Zürich have hosted me very kindly during various
fellowships, and without the generous support of the Swiss National Science
Foundation I would very likely have been unable to bring this project to
fruition.
The first inspiration to this book, much good advice, encouragement
when dearly needed, and not least a μέγας θησαυρός of happy memories
came from the ‘British’ branch of my family. The motivation to keep going
and the ability to do so was given me by the Swiss side.
Weingarten, Männedorf
January 2017
read as interpretations of indications of feelings given in the utterances of fictional
characters.
Table of Contents
Preface ..................................................................................................... v
Introduction .............................................................................. 1
1) Structure ............................................................................................. 3
2) Problems of Interpretation ................................................................. 6
3) Myth ................................................................................................... 13
A) Ion’s Genealogy ............................................................................... 13
B) Ion and the Erichthonius Myth ......................................................... 20
C) Ideological Implications ................................................................... 22
4) Date .................................................................................................... 24
A) Metrical Criteria ............................................................................... 24
B) Structural Criteria ............................................................................. 27
C) External Criteria ............................................................................... 28
5) Set, Entrances and Exits, Actor Distribution ..................................... 33
6) The Text ............................................................................................. 36
A) Transmission .................................................................................... 36
B) Interpolations..................................................................................... 36
C) The Edition ........................................................................................ 44
Critical Edition ......................................................................... 45
Commentary ............................................................................. 117
Conventions, Abbreviations, Bibliography ............................................ 548
Indices .................................................................................................... 605

Introduction