Antigone

**Read Ἀντιγόνη at the source, before centuries of translation made its language familiar in other forms.**

## The Work and Its World

Antigone, preserved here as Ἀντιγόνη, is one of the works through which ancient Greek literature and thought continue to speak to later centuries. Antigone's decision to bury her brother sets conscience and sacred obligation against the authority of the state.

Antigone is an ancient tragedy by Sophocles that was probably presented in the Great Dionysia of 441 BC. Its theme comes from the Theban cycle, from which Sophocles drew material for two of his other tragedies, Oedipus the Tyrant and Oedipus at Colonus. The fictional events of Antigone are later chronological than those of the Oedipus tragedies, but Antigone was introduced before them. Its theme is Antigone's attempt to bury her dead brother Polyneices, despite the contrary order of Creon, king of Thebes, placing the honor of the gods and love for her brother above Creon's laws. Antigone is the second oldest extant tragedy by Sophocles, after Aiades.

Antigone was one of the four children that Oedipus had with Jocasta, queen of Thebes, without knowing that she was his natural mother. Their other children were Ismene, Eteocles and Polyneices. Oedipus had cursed his sons to quarrel over the division of their inheritance and kill each other because they had disobeyed his orders.

When Oedipus discovered the truth about his parentage, he exiled himself and the two brothers agreed to take turns ruling Thebes every year. After the first year of rule, Eteocles refused to cede the throne to Polyneices. So the latter left Thebes and went to Argos, where he married the daughter of King Adrastos and organized an expedition against Thebes. The campaign failed, but both brothers were killed in a duel with each other. The throne was then taken over by Creon, Jocasta's brother, who ordered the body of Polyneices to be buried because he betrayed his country.

The prelude to the tragedy is placed in time at the dawn of the day that followed the end of the siege. Creon has already given the order not to bury Polyneices, as a traitor, with the threat of severe punishment (stoning) to anyone who violates the order. Antigone and her sister Ismene appear outside the palace. Antigone announces her decision to bury Polyneices, in accordance with the divine unwritten laws that require that no corpse be left unburied, without funeral honors. Ismene refuses to cooperate, fearing Creon's power, and fails to change Antigone's mind. After their charged conversation follows the procession of the dance, consisting of the elders of Thebes. The parade triumphantly triumphs over enemies. Creon then arrives and announces the new values ​​by which he intends to rule the city, as well as his decision not to bury Polyneices.

In the next scene, one of the guardians of the buried corpse suddenly enters and announces that in an unknown way a symbolic burial has taken place for the deceased, who was now covered by a thin layer of soil. Creon orders the watchman to find the offender, and the episode closes with a chorus extolling man's limitless power but pointing out his weakness in the face of divine powers and his inevitable nature of acting against the laws of gods and men. In the second episode, the guard returns to the scene leading Antigone, who was arrested when she attempted a reburial. An intense confrontation between Antigone and Creon follows, and then Ismene also comes on stage, accused by the king of collaborating in the burial. Although she had not interfered with the burial, Ismene does not fend off the accusations and Creon decides to punish them both. In the second stanza, the dance mourns the fate of the Lavdakid family, whose curses are now affecting its younger members as well.

## Why It Still Matters

Approaching Antigone in its original language brings the reader closer to choices of rhythm, argument, image, and dramatic emphasis that translations must inevitably interpret. The work is not important only because it is old: it remains a living point of reference for writers, philosophers, historians, theatre makers, and readers confronting related questions today.

## Author and Legacy

Sophocles was one of classical Athens' three great tragedians and transformed tragic drama through concentrated conflicts of law, kinship, and knowledge.

Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC) (Ancient Greek: Sophocles ὁ Sofillou ὁ ἐκ Κολονοῦ) was an ancient Greek tragedian of the classical era from Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Euripides, they are the only tragic poets whose complete works have survived. According to ancient accounts, he seems to have written about 123 works of which only seven tragedies are handed down complete.

He was born in Ippios Colonos, Athens. He was the son of Sophillos, a wealthy Athenian who owned a cutlery factory, and was educated according to his financial comfort. He received a careful upbringing and education. He was taught music by the famous music teacher Lambros and harmoniously developed his physical and mental powers. Fifteen-year-old, he was the leader of the dance of teenagers who took part in the victory celebration for the naval battle of Salamis. He was closely associated with political and intellectual figures of the time, such as Pericles, Socrates, Plato and occupied various high positions in politics, religious cults and the arts.

The years 443-442 BC he was treasurer of the Attic naval alliance. And from 441 to 440 BC. he commanded together with Pericles the fleet in the attack against Samos, where all the men of the island were slaughtered. In 428 he was again a general with Thucydides and in 413 he was a member of the oligarchic government of Athens. He had a son with Nicostat, who also became a poet, but also an illegitimate son, also named Sophocles, who proved to be a more important writer than his other son. The great tragic poet introduced the worship of Asclepius to Athens and was honored with the nickname Dexion, because he welcomed the god into his home. The first celebration before the Asclepius under the Acropolis of Athens was finished, took place in the precincts of his house. He even writes a paean about Asclepius.

In this collection, the author's importance is approached through Antigone. The work shows how a particular genre or method could become a durable instrument for examining human action, public life, knowledge, memory, and the demands of justice.