Sette contro Tebe – Seven Against Thebes
a Greek tragedy by Aeschilo
Ancient Theatre, Thursday August 3rd 2017 @ 9.30pm
Organization: Fondazione Inda Siracusa
Direction: Marco Baliani
Assitant Dierection: Raffaele Di Florio
Translation: Giorgio Ieranò
Scene e costumi Carlo Sala
Assistente scenografo Roberta Monopoli
Musics:Mirto Baliani
Coreografie: Alessandra Fazzino
PERFORMERS
Aedo: Gianni Salvo
Eteocle: Marco Foschi
Messanger: Aldo Ottobrino
Araldo: Aldo Ottobrino
Antigone: Anna Della Rosa
Dancers: Massimo Frascà, Liber Dorizzi
Chorus: Accademia d’arte del dramma antico
Seven Against Thebes is the third play in an Oedipus-themed trilogy produced by Aeschylus in 467 BC. The trilogy is sometimes referred to as the Oedipodea. It concerns the battle between an Argive army led by Polynices and the army of Thebes led by Eteocles and his supporters. The trilogy won the first prize at the City Dionysia. The trilogy’s first two plays, Laius and Oedipus, as well as the satyr play Sphinx, are no longer extant.
Background When Oedipus, King of Thebes, realized he had married his own mother and had two sons and two daughters with her, he blinded himself and cursed his sons to divide their inheritance (the kingdom) by the sword. The two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, in order to avoid bloodshed, agreed to rule Thebes in alternate years. After the first year, Eteocles refused to step down, leading Polynices to raise an army of Argives (captained by the eponymous Seven) to take Thebes by force. This is where Aeschylus’ tragedy starts.
Plot summary Seven Against Thebes features little action; instead, the bulk of the play consists of rich dialogues between the citizens of Thebes and their king Eteocles regarding the threat of the hostile army before their gates. Dialogues show aspects of Eteocles’ character. There is also a lengthy description of each of the seven captains that lead the Argive army against the seven gates of the city of Thebes as well as the devices on their respective shields. Eteocles, in turn, announces which Theban commanders he will send against each Argive attacker. Finally, the commander of the troops before the seventh gate is revealed to be Polynices, the brother of the king. Then Eteocles remembers and refers to the curse of their father Oedipus. Eteocles resolves to meet and fight his brother in person before the seventh gate and exits. Following a choral ode, a messenger enters, announcing that the attackers have been repelled but that Eteocles and Polynices have killed each other in battle. Their bodies are brought on stage, and the chorus mourns them.
Due to the popularity of Sophocles’ play Antigone, the ending of Seven against Thebes was rewritten about fifty years after Aeschylus’ death.While Aeschylus wrote his play to end with somber mourning for the dead brothers, it now contains an ending that serves as a lead-in of sorts to Sophocles’ play: a messenger appears, announcing a prohibition against burying Polynices; his sister Antigone, however, announces her intention to defy this edict.
TICKETS on vivaticket.it
Stalls (Parterre): € 33,00
Gallery: € 22,00
Upper circle (numbered seats): € 16,50
More info: www.indafondazione.org/en/
