©2.VI0A A...; -./a y?-: :.- :•.:::5 2^,8 DEPOSITED 3 Y THE COMMITTEE ON (Bra&uate Stufcies. | ~~ ~~ ~--~* No. liiiarg of JUcGill University MONTREAL Received COM M ITTEE ON GRADUATE STUDIES McGill University, Montreal, April 21st, 1911 Professor John MacNaughton, Faculty of Arts . Dear Professor MacNaughton:- The Committee on Graduate Studies re­ quest you to act as one of the examiners of the enclosed Thesis submitted by H. P. Cockfield, a candidate for the II.A- degree in the Department of Classics. When you have read the Thesis,will you please return it to me, together with a brief statement of your opinio^ concerning it* The Committee will be grateful if you can make your report as soon as possible, as the Thesis must be judged by another examiner before May 1st. I am, Yours very truly, v Secretary of the Committee on Graduate Studies. SENECA AND HIS GREEK MODELS. Lucius Annaeus Seneca, son of Marcus A.Seneca the rhetoric ian, was born at Cordova in Spain probabl3r a few years before Christ. Without going into details , it may be said that his early training was very much like that of the youth of his time After having mastered the rudiments, he was sent to a rhetoric ian, where he spent considerable time and attention on the suasoriae and controversiae, so necessary for the education of a Koiaan youth in the time of the Empire;. Abandoning rhetoric, he pursued the more congenial study, as he thought, of philoso phy, accepting the Stoic principles. He subsequently became ITero's teacherand advisor, and it was during this period of his life that he devoted part of his time to literature. Besides other treatises for the most part philosophical which do not fall within the scope of the present article , he wrote nine tragedies( the tenth, Octavia, cannot be considered as part of the philosopher's work as in it ITero's death, which Look place after that of Seneca, is described) choosing such subjects as would give full play to a mind fashioned and mould- edein the schools by rhetorical practice. There are some scholars who maintain that these tragedies were not written by Seneca. This, however, is a question which does not come at all within the scope of the present discussion It matters not whether the a.u«hor in Seneca or Augustus , for 2 the object of this essay is to compare the tragedies that are commonly ascribed to Seneca with those of the three renowned Greek tragedians. Seneca's drama is but a counterpart of Greek tragedywhose story it follows and recasts. The names of his nine dramas are v/ith one exception derived from Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripid #es, whiotf. this one exception, viz., the Thyestes, is one with which the three Greeks might have.dealt sooner or later.They are moreover,modeled more or less closely after the tragedies of Aeschyles, Sophocles and Euripides: and the Greek and Roman pro­ duct in literature along parallel lines cannot be better studied than by a comparison of these Senecan plays and their Greek pro­ totypes. The following is a list of Seneca's plays and the Greek plays from which they are derived:- Seneca Greek Oedipus Oedipus Rex Sophocles Phoenissae 1 Septem contra Thebas Aeschylus 2 Phoenissae Euripides 3 Oedipus at Colon©us Sophocles f Jledea Medea Euripides Hercules Purens Hercules Purens Euripides Phaedra Kippolytus Euripides Hercules Oetaeus Trachiniae Sophocles Troades ^roades,Hecuba, Euripides Agamemnon Agamemnon Aeschylus Thyestes None Octavia None I shall now offer a comparative analysis of the Oedipus of Seneca and that of Sophocles so that we can easily see at a glance , et least so far as the subject matter and dra­ matic •situations are concerned , to what extent the Roman has followed the Greek . The same treatment could be given to each play , but to save space the Oedipus will suffice. Tor the other. see I.IillerwTragedies of Seneca" ad fin. Oedipus of Sophocles . Oedipus of Seneca . Prol.Oedipus appears as the Oedipus laments the plague on great princes/horn the Thebans his people . He tells how he flei rank second only to the gods, from Corinth to avoid the dread- Fle pledges himself to relieve ful oracle. He dreads the same fatehis afflictedeven here. people He tells by seek-of the terrorsthe murderer of pestilence of Laius and prays for death.Jocasta remonstrates with him. Parodos The chorus bewail the pestJ-The chorus appeals to Bacchus and Lences & invoke the gods. tells the <^stresses of the city 4 and the sufferings of the people in detail. Pirst Episode, Creon returns from Delphi and Oedipus publicly invokes a bids the murder of Laius be solemn curse upon the unknown avenged. Oedipus promises to murderer of Laius.At Creon's make diligent search and pro- suggest ion,he sends for Teir- nounces a dreadful curse upon esias, the seer, v/ho refuses to him. Teiresias with Hanto enters speak, but finally , stung by He tries by the art of divina - taunts , denounces Oedipus tion to find the murderer, but himself as the slayer. says that the dead have to be raised in order to find him. Pirst Stasmion, The Chorus forebodes that theThe Chorussingsia dithyrambic unknown murder is doomed and strain in praise of the wonder- refuses to believe the unprovedjful works of Bacchus. No refer- 3harge against Oedipusbrought ence is made to the tragedy forward by the seer. which is in progress. Second Episode Creon protests against the Creon returns from the rites of suspicion that he has suborned necromancyin which he has Teiresias to accuse Oedipus accompanied Teiresias and strives /ho is unconvinced. Jocasta to avoid the disclosure to the stops quarrel and Creon departs, king# But wherl forced | he ledipus then tells her that he tells vividly how the dead were Las been charged with the mur- summoned and Laius among them 5 ier of Laius. He replies that who says that Oedipus is the le need feel no disquietude murderer of his father and mar- Laius was fated to be killed by ried to his mother. Oedipus lis ovm son who was exposed on thbelieving Polybus and Merope to the hills when a babe and Laius be his parents denies the f/as slain by robbers at the charge and after an acrimonious meeting of the three roads. dispute orders Creon to be jailed on suspicion of Conspira cy ?:ith Teiresias. V.716 strikes first note of alarm. He questions her and his fearu fear is confirmed. Thereupon he bells her his whole story , but le still has one hope left,i.e. the attendant of Laius spoke of robbers.Let him be summo ned. Second Stasmion, The chorus utters a prayer The chorus refuses to believe igainst arrogance--such as the the charge of Oedipus,but lays Ting's tov/ards Creon and impiety the blame of all these ills upon is in Jocasta's mistrust of the the evil state of Thebes which )racle. has pursued the Thebans from the first. Third Episode, A messenger from Corinth an- Oedipus who had slain a man, nounces that Polybus is dead 6 and that Oedipus is king.Jocasta questions Jocasta more closelyk and Oedipus exult in the refuta- is convinced that he is the tion of the oracle, but Oedipus slayer. Now a messenger from still dreadsthe union with his Corinth announces the death of mother.The messenger hearing Polybusand that Oedipus is king this, declares that Polybus and But by questioning , Oedipus Eerope are not his parents.But finds out that he is not the the messenger himself when a heruchildjof Merepe and Polybus but herdsman in the service of Poly had been given to them by the bus had found the infant Oedipus messenger , who in turn had him on Cithaeron, or rather got him from a herdsman of Laius. from one of the people of Laius. Oedipus determines to find out Jocasta implores Oedipus to the-fatal truth, and the herds- search no further .He answers man is summoned and forced to that he cares not how lowly his answer. The son of Jocasta it birth may be, he will search to v/as .Oedipus goes off the stage the end.Jocasta rushes away in a fit of raving madness. with a cry of despair. Third Stasmion, The chorus joyfully fore- Tiie chorus reflects upon the tell that Oedipus will-prove to dangerous position of the man be a native of the land-perchance who is unduly exalted , and of seed divine. illustrates this principle by Pourth Episode, the case of Icarus. The herdsman declares all. Oedipus knows all and v/ith a shriek rushes away. Eourth Stasmion , Chorus bewail the Great King's falland the utter nothingness of human life. Exode, A messenger from the house There is a short chorus (lines announces that jocasta has 980-997) but the rest of the hanged herself, and that Oedipus play is really the exode. A has put out his eyes.Presently messenger describes v/ith hor- Oedipus is led forth. With rible minuteness how Oedipus passionate lamentation he in his raving has dug out his beseeches the Chorus of Theban eyes. At this point Oedipus Elders to banish or slay him. himself comes upon the stage rejoicing in his blindness. Jocasta appears and on learning the whole truth, she slays her­ self on the stage with Oedipus' sword. The play ends as the blind old king gropes his way into darkness and exile. The story of Oedipus was one of the few" subjects which the Greek dramatists v/ere never tired of handling.