Euripides on America

Euripides, Louvre Museum (Accession No. Ma 343 – LL 15), Paris, France, Source/Author Jastrow (PD)

The great tragedian Euripides, now acclaimed worldwide, was not beloved in Athens during his lifetime [1][2A].  He held a mirror up to society, exposing its many flaws rather than glorifying its achievements.

Ancient Athens is today lauded as the cradle of democracy, much as America (actually a republic) is celebrated as its powerful proponent.  But Athenian democracy lasted only around 200 years, and was restricted to free males over the age of 18 [3][4].  Women and slaves (who  outnumbered citizens) had no voice. 

Like modern day America, Athens was beset by political turmoil, social discontent, and vehement debates about everything under the sun.  Athens had endured military defeats, and a plague.  But the city still believed itself chosen by the gods to reign over the world.

Against this backdrop, Aeschylus paid homage to tradition in his work, and Sophocles was known for his balance. 

By contrast, Euripides challenged societal norms and empty religion, giving voice to those overlooked by society and left grappling with despair.  Euripides’ heroes could be cruel; his gods, capricious (a reflection of the men who had created them).  At the same time, he put wisdom into the mouths of women and slaves.

“In Hippolytus, the goddess Aphrodite systematically destroys a young man simply because he refuses to worship her.  In Ion, the god Apollo lies to and abandons mortals, leaving them utterly broken.  These were the aspects of the gods Euripides wanted Athenians to see, rather than worship blindly [2B].”

For Athenians, this was close to blasphemy.  We may view that as mildly amusing today.  After all, we have no gods, ourselves.  Or is it that we have no gods besides ourselves? 

How many sacred cows can you name?  The theory of evolution is one.  Climate change and Woke ideology  are others [10].  Then there is transgenderism.  

Materialism is our national life’s blood, with its cousin entitlement rapidly clogging our veins.  We take our blessings and our position in the world for granted.  Yet, 35.9 million of our fellow Americans live in poverty, while the divide between rich and poor continues to grow [5][6][7][8]. 

Meanwhile, those with celebrity allure or unlimited funds have attained such godlike status in our society that we often allow them to pervert justice [9]. 

What would Euripides make of all this?  It is hardly likely he would remain silent.

More importantly, what does God – the real God – make of it?  That is a question worth considering as we gather, once more, around our Thanksgiving tables.

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[1]  Wikipedia, “Euripides”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euripides.

[2]  Greek Reporter, “Why Ancient Athens Feared Euripides More Than Its Enemies” by Nick Kampouris, 10/4/25, https://greekreporter.com/2025/10/04/ancient-athens-feared-euripides/.

[3]  Wikipedia, “Athenian democracy”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athenian_democracy.

[4]  History, “Ancient Greek Democracy”, 8/23/18, https://www.history.com/articles/ancient-greece-democracy.

[5]  US Congress, “Poverty in 2024” by Joseph Dalaker, 9/12/25, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12607#:~:text=The%20official%20poverty%20rate%20in%20the%20United%20States%2C,In%202024%2C%2035.9%20million%20people%20lived%20in%20poverty. 

[6]  Urban Institute, “Nine Charts about Wealth Inequality in America”, 4/25/24, https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/.

[7]  Pew Research Center, “Most Americans Say There Is Too Much Economic Inequality in the U.S., but Fewer Than Half Call It a Top Priority – 1. Trends in income and wealth inequality” by Juliana Horowitz, Ruth Igielnik, and Rakesh Kochhar, 1/9/20, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality.

[8]  The Conversation, “Soaring wealth inequality has remade the map of America prosperity” by Tom Kemeny, 1/16/25, https://theconversation.com/soaring-wealth-inequality-has-remade-the-map-of-american-prosperity-228377.

[9]  Southwest Journal, “Celebrities Who Got Off Easy for Serious Crimes:  From Scandals to Slaps on the Wrist” by Nebojsa Vujinovic, 5/24/23, https://www.southwestjournal.com/celebrities/celebrities-who-got-off-easy-for-serious-crimes/.

[10]  That climate can change (and has changed in the past) is indisputable.  Whether and at what rate climate change is occurring is less clear.  What man can and should do about such change (and what role government should play) is yet more contentious.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

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