Exact date of production of play not known. It is also known as The Trachiniae, named after its Chorus.
Heracles had been married to Deianeira for nearly three years, when, at a meal in the house of Oeneus, Deianeira's father, he has killed by accident, the boy Eunomus, the son of Architeles. In accordance with the law Heracles has had to go into exile with his wife. They chose to flee to Tiryns. On their way there they had to cross the river Euenus,
Now the central back story to this play, which is primarily about Deianeira, concerns the tunic of Nessos the centaur. As they were fleeing across the river Euenos, Nessos who was carrying Deianeira had attempted to have sexual relations with her. Heracles rescued her by shooting the centaur with a poisoned arrow. As he lay dying, Nessos persuaded Deianeira to take a sample of his blood, telling her that she could make a love potion from it when mixed with olive oil, and she could give this to Heracles which would ensure that he would never be unfaithful to her. Accordingly she collected the centaur's blood by dipping and soaking a strip of his tunic in it.
Iolè – [object of Heracles' lust whom he wants to make his wife, non speaking part]
Litter‐bearers of Heracles. [non speaking parts]
Assignment of Parts:
Protagonist = Deianeira and Heracles
Deuteragonist = Hyllus and Lichas,
Tritagonist = the Nurse, the Messenger, and the Old Man
Setting: skene: at Trachis, in front of the house of Heracles.
Oeneus, king of Pleuron in Aetolia, had a fair daughter, Deianeira, and many sought her in marriage, chiefly the river god Achelous, whom, she dreaded even to look upon. And Heracles came, and defeated the river god, and took Deianeira as his bride. And as they journeyed to Tiryns, they passed the stream Euenos, where Nessos the Kentaur was wont to carry travellers across. And as he bore Deianeira, he laid rude hands on her, and Heracles, seeing this, shot him with an arrow, that had been dipped in the venom of the Lernaean hydra; and Nessos, as he died, gave a rag, dipped in the blood of his wound, to Deianeira, and told her that it would be a love-charm to win back her husband's heart, should he ever prove unfaithful. And they lived together, and she bore him Hyllos and other children; and, though Heracles was light of love, yet she never used the charm, but kept her soul in patience.
And for many years Heracles went to and fro, fulfilling the labours which Eurystheus had laid upon him, and, when these were over, being sore vexed, in his rage he slew Iphitos, the son of Eurytos, king of Oechalia, who had provoked him, and for this Zeus sentenced him to serve [in bondage] Omphale for a whole year in Lydia. And Deianeira fled from Tiryns, for fear of Eurystheus, and abode at Trachis. Now when the year of bondage to Omphale was over, Heracles, being in love with Iole, daughter of Eurytos, invaded her father's kingdom, and laid it waste, and sent Iole and other captive women to Tiryns, while he stayed to offer sacrifice to Zeus after his victory. And all this time Deianeira remained at home in much fear and trembling.
Enter Deianeira, her Nurse, and the Chorus of Trachinian Maidens.
Deianeira relates the story of her life and her plight. She says her life has to date been filled with nothing but misery and woe. She tells the story of the river god, Achelous, how he had come to her father's house wooing her several times in different forms: first as a bull in body form, then as a dragon, then as a human trunk with the head of ox. He disgusted her. And she then explains how Heracles had rescued her by killing Achelous, and afterwards then became her husband.
The Nurse speaks. She has seen Deianeira cry many times over Heracles' absence. She tells Deianeira that it might be a good idea to send Hyllus in search of him.
Deianeira agrees with the Nurse's suggestion [worthy of a free woman even though a slave]. She tell Hyllus to go off and enquire about his father. Hyllus says he knows where he is. He is in Lydia working as a servant to a Lydian woman. But he is now free. Hyllus says he is now in Euboea campaigning against the city of Eurytus. Deianeira says that Heracles before he went away told her of a prophecy: that he would either come to his life's end or have a happy life for the rest of his time once free of this bondage, his "Labours" being over.
Deianeira tells the Chorus that she believes that they are here because they have heard of her suffering; that she is getting older and inevitably losing her beauty. That when Heracles went away he left a tablet with his will written on it; that he would either survive his latest venture after being a year away or die; that he had heard this prophecy from the oracle of Zeus at Dodona.
Enter a Messenger
He reports that Heracles has been successful in his latest endeavour and is returning to Trachis shortly. Lichas had told him all this. Deianeira asks why isn't Lichas here himself?
(Hyporchema Dance-Song 205-224) the Chorus sing and dance a song of joy of Heracles' return.
Enter Lichas with a group of captive women; among them is Iole.
Deianeira welcomes Lichas. She asks him if Heracles is alive. He is, and healthy too. Is he in Greece or overseas? Lichas reveals that Heracles has finished his year of bondage to Omphale, Queen of Lydia; that he is in Euboea fulfilling a vow. He had vowed to overthrow the city of Oechalia, Eurytus' city. He has killed Eurytus and enslaved the citizens of that city. That is where the captives are from. He says that Heracles is still in Euboea building an entire complex of altars and shrines there intended for sacrifices to Zeus
The Chorus chant an ode about the power of desire. The ode especially makes reference to the tale of Heracles’ of destruction of the river god Achelous because of his love for Deianeira, which had overwhelmed him. The song reminds us as well that Deianeira also feels desire for Heracles too, suggesting that Deianeira might be feeling very jealous because of the presence of Iole.
Deianeira says she has taken a young maiden into her home just as a mariner might load his ship with cargo. Now there are now two women in the house, each waiting for its master under a single bedcover for his embrace, two of them sharing the same marriage. What woman could bear this?
Deianeira recalls the story of the centaur Nessos who had carried her across the river Evenus, and how he had tried to touch her sexually, and how Heracles had killed the centaur with his famous bow and an arrow which had been dipped in the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra [the killing of which was one of his Labours]. Nessos had told Deianeira that if she collected the blood which had clotted around his wound, she could make a love potion from it for the heart of Heracles, which if he took it he would never be able to look at any other woman nor love her more than Deianeira.
Deianeira has done all that and has kept the blood safely through all these years. She has followed the instructions Nessos had given her and daubed a robe with the charmed potion which she is now carrying in a casket. She believes the spell will work.
Lichas enters
Deianeira gives the robe in the casket to him asking him to take it to Heracles. She tells him only Heracles must put on the robe and no one else. Nor must it be exposed to the sun, nor brought in any holy enclosure, and to avoid the glow from any lit hearth. Only Heracles must wear it on the day when he displaying before the gods a bull which he has slaughtered in their name. He must put on this robe when he makes a new sacrifice to the gods, like wearing new clothes for the occasion. Deianeira gives Lichas a message with a copy of her seal proving that the robe has come from her.
Lichas exits saying he will fulfil this task.
Deianeira exits into the palace.
2nd Stasimon [Lines 633-662]
3rd Episode [Lines 663-820]
Hyllus enters and tells the story of what he saw with his own eyes what happened to his father. After sacking Eurytus he marched away with the spoils and booty of victory. On the shores of Euboea there was a place called Cenaeum. There he marked out altars and a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus. Then when he was about to sacrifice some bulls Lichas entered with the casket containing the robe Deianeira had sent. He put it on and killed the first group of 12 bulls proud to wear such a fine robe. Then a herd of another 100 was brought for slaughter. But the flames of the pinewood fires began to grow and the sanctuary started to grow hot. And as he sweated the robe began to cling to his body. Spasms of pain bit into his bones; then like a poisonous viper the robe began to consume him, wrapping itself around him.
Then Heracles demanded Lichas tell him what was the plot behind this robe all about? Lichas simply said it was a gift from Deianeira. Heracles then picked up Lichas by the ankle, and threw him at some rocks on the seashore dashing his brains out.
Then Heracles started to writhe on the ground in pain shrieking his head off, declaring his marriage wretched. The poisoned robe was making him mad. He begged his son to take him away to a place where he could not be seen.
Deianeira exits immediately without attempting to defend her actions.
The Chorus Leader declares that she has by her silence accused herself.
Hyllus exits.
The Chorus sings that the prophecy has come true: perversely that the end of Heracles' Labours also proves to be the end of Heracles himself. The Hydra's venom is killing him and together with Nessos, Heracles' enemy, both have got their revenge. They declare Deianeira knew none of this and is therefore not guilty. The bringing of Iole to his home and the power of desire has caused all this. It is Aprodite who is behind all this.
Nurse enters from the palace.
The Chorus beg to know what is happening.
The Nurse tells them that Deianeira has killed herself and horribly so using a sword. And described how she gone from room to room weeping. Finally she had run into Heracles' bedchamber. There on the marriage-bed bursting into a torrent of tears she cut her torso open with a double bladed sword. Then she says it was Hyllus who had shrieked for he knew it was his words that made his mother kill herself, and then he had lain next to her body weeping.
Exit Nurse
The Chorus sing a short ode of lament for the sufferings of the family. Should they sing for the suffering of those in the house? Or for the pain of Heracles who is being carried towards the house?
Enter from the side Heracles borne on a litter, together with an Old Man. Hyllus enters from the palace.
(Melos Lines 1004-1043) Heracles awakens and starts to sing. He begs for someone to come and kill him to relieve him of his torments. The Old Man sings begging Hyllus to help his father. Hyllus sings he can only do so much to stop his pain, the rest is the will of Zeus. Heracles sings that the vision he is seeing of the Hydra is destroying him. He calls for his son to take pity and kill him.
Heracles starts to speak. No one or thing had ever before caused him to suffer so much agony. Now the daughter of Oenus [Deianeira] has. He instructs his son to bring Deianeira before him for punishment. "Do not think of her as your mother. See how I suffer". He then relates a summary of the story of some of his Labours.
He forces Hyllus to make two promises which he must carry out on oath; first, Hyllus must arrange for Heracles’ death which must take place on the funeral pyre. He must follow the ritual: Hyllus must first carry him up Mount Oeta sacred to Zeus; then he must cut down an oak tree, chopping it up so as to build a pyre, adding faggots from a wild olive tree; then he must lay his body on top of the pyre and then plunge a sword into his chest, killing him; he is then to set fire to the pyre using a pine cone torch. If he does all this correctly there will be no dishonour or shame in what he has done.
Secondly, he also tells Hyllus that when he is dead, he must promise in his memory that after he has died that he, Hyllus, will take Iole to be his wife, letting no other have her.
Hyllus so swears.
References
Women of Trachis - Wikipedia
Heracles - Wikipedia
Iole - Wikipedia
Lernaean Hydra - Wikipedia
ACHELOUS (Akheloios) - Aetolian River-God of Greek Mythology
NESSUS (Nessos) - Centaur of Greek Mythology
Tiryns - Wikipedia
Omphale - Wikipedia
Iphitus of Oechalia - Wikipedia
Hyporchema - Wikipedia
Sophocles: Women of Trachis (Τραχίνιαι) - - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library
Women of Trachis by Sophocles - GreekMythology.com
Women of Trachis - Ancient History Encyclopedia
The Trachiniae - Sophocles - Ancient Greece - Classical Literature
Women of Trachis Study Guide - Course Hero
Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Trachiniae,
Sophocles Part 5 : Trachiniae - Jebb Internet Archive
Brill's Companion to the Reception of Sophocles. BRILL. 3 April 2017. ISBN 978-90-04-30094-1.
Andreas Markantonatos (27 August 2012). Brill's Companion to Sophocles. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-21762-1.
Hoey, T. F. “The Date of the ‘Trachiniae.’” Phoenix, vol. 33, no. 3, 1979, pp. 210–232. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1087433.
Segal, C. (1977). Sophocles' Trachiniae: Myth, poetry, and heroic values. In T. Gould & C. Herington (Authors), Greek Tragedy (Yale Classical Studies, pp. 99-158). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511933738.005
In: Charles Segal (30 June 2009). Sophocles' Tragic World: Divinity, Nature, Society. Chapter 2: Harvard University Press. pp. 26–. ISBN 978-0-674-04342-8.
Sophoclea : studies on the text of Sophocles : Lloyd-Jones, Hugh - Internet Archive
Page 150- Chapter V - Trachiniae
Jacques Jouanna (25 July 2012). Greek Medicine from Hippocrates to Galen: Selected Papers. "Disease as Aggression in The Hippocratic Corpus And Greek Tragedy: Wild and Devouring Disease": BRILL. pp. 81–. ISBN 90-04-20859-3.
Internet Archive Search: Women of Trachis
Greek Versions
Trachiniae : Sophocles, Wilhelm Dindorf - Internet Archive
Sophocles, Trachiniae - Perseus Digital Library
Sophocles: The Trachiniae - Google Books
Sophocles: Plays: Trachiniae (Classic Commentaries): 9781853996429 - Amazon Books
The Trachiniae of Sophocles, with a Commentary : R.C. Jebb
Translations
Trachiniae - Wikisource, the free online library
Tragedies of Sophocles (Plumptre 1878)/Maidens of Trachis - Wikisource,
Tragedies of Sophocles (Jebb 1917)/Trachiniae - Wikisource
Sophocles, Trachiniae - Perseus Digital Library
Women of Trachis by Sophocles - Internet Archive
The Internet Classics Archive | The Trachiniae by Sophocles
Sophocles (19 April 2013). David Grene (ed.). Sophocles II: Ajax, The Women of Trachis, Electra, Philoctetes, The Trackers. University of Chicago Press. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-0-226-31156-2.
Sophocles (24 April 2008). Electra and Other Plays. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-191356-8.
Audio
Trachiniai by Sophocles : Audiobooks Full Length - YouTube
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