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The Walled Orchard #2
Εύπολις ο κωμωδιογράφος
Γεννήθηκα και μεγάλωσα στην Αττική με την πόλη της Αθήνας να δεσπόζει στο βάθος της. Ήταν η εποχή που τα έργα τού Αισχύλου ήταν ακόμα φρέσκα στη μνήμη των ανθρώπων, ο Σοφοκλής ήταν στο απόγειο της δημιουργικότητάς του και ένας νεαρός ονόματι Ευριπίδης είχε αρχίσει να δημιουργεί εντυπώσεις. Ήταν τότε που ο Περικλής θεμελίωνε τον Παρθενώνα και οι εισφορές από τη μεγάλη Αθηναϊκή αυτοκρατορία κυλούσαν σαν πλημμυρισμένος ποταμός. Το μόνο που μπορώ να σας υποσχεθώ, ως Αθηναίος και θεράπων των Μουσών, είναι πως το βιβλίο μου ετούτο θα είναι απίθανα διασκεδαστικό, συγκινητικό και ενημερωτικό και σας ζητώ να κάνετε λίγη υπομονή μέχρι να ξεκαθαρίσω ορισμένα βαρετά σημεία. Φανταστείτε, ας πούμε, πως βρίσκεστε στο θέατρο την πρώτη μέρα των Μεγάλων Διονυσίων. Πως έχετε έρθει με τα πόδια μέσα στη ζέστη από τον Μαραθώνα ή την Ελευσίνα, για να δείτε το τελευταίο έργο του διάσημου κωμωδιογράφου Ευπόλιδος από την Παλλήνη. Πρώτα πρέπει να καθίσετε και να δείτε τρεις ατέλειωτες τραγωδίες που αναφέρονται σε πολιτικώς ορθά αλλά χιλιοειπωμένα θέματα, όπως είναι η πτώση της Τροίας, η εκδίκηση του Ορέστη, ή οι Επτά επί Θήβας. Εσείς, όμως, δεν είστε διατεθειμένοι να κάνετε τη θυσία και να τις παρακολουθήσετε, μια που ξέρετε ότι η κωμωδία του Εύπολι αξίζει τον κόπο. Σκέφτομαι πως κάποιοι από σας, νέοι καθώς είστε, μπορεί ούτε τα Μεγάλα Διονύσια να έχετε ακούσει ποτέ, ούτε για τον κωμωδιογράφο Εύπολι. Τι να σας πω; Δεν πρόκειται να σας εξηγήσω εδώ τα πάντα. Σας συμβουλεύω να καθίσετε φρόνιμα και να βάλετε το μυαλό σας να δουλέψει για να βγάλετε τα συμπεράσματά σας από τα συμφραζόμενα, όπως έκανα κι εγώ σε όλη μου τη ζωή. Προσποιηθείτε πως αυτό εδώ δεν είναι ένα βιβλίο, μα μια συναρπαστική συζήτηση που κρυφακούτε στα λουτρά ή στην αγορά.
Εύπολις
Εύπολις
468 pages, Paperback
1 person is currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Tom Holt
99 books1,180 followersTom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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January 27, 2019απολαυστικότερους διάλογους από ετούτους ανάμεσα σε εύπολι και φαίδρα μπορεί κανείς να βρει μόνο σε εκείνους ανάμεσα σε σπύρο και δημητρούλα.
June 21, 2015
Part II of Eupolis' history/memoir/autobiography. This was just as enjoyable as Part I Goatsong: A Novel of Ancient Athens, same humor, same wicked satire--on War, the Law, Lawyers, court trials, politics, and, of course, the theater and plays. This had belly laughs as well as gentle humor. Even the silliness fit right in. There was a dab of poignancy at the end.
The Pelopponesian War is still grinding its way on; remember, it lasted twenty-seven years. One of Athens' brilliant (?) generals decides to conquer Syracuse in Sicily. Eupolis is conscripted and travels with the army who fight and lose the Battle of Syracuse. Eupolis meets his old bête noir and rival, Aristophanes. On the army's retreat towards home, another brilliant (?) leader decides they should hide in a Walled Orchard from the enemy; he doesn't think ahead: they'll be penned in there, practically defenseless. There in the Orchard Eupolis meets the god Dionysus, who charges him with taking good care of the god's favorite comic playwright--Aristophanes, naturally. Whoever left alive breaks out of the Walled Orchard and takes ship on the Athenian fleet, which, incredibly, is defeated. The ships have to be left there on the Sicilian shore except one taking the wounded back to Athens. After many misadventures, the two playwrights reach Athens. Eupolis is arrested and charged with blasphemous treason for allegedly smashing many statues of the god Hermes. He is innocent [he was merely a witness and since that incident he's been away at the War]. He is forced to defend himself in court. He prepares a defense speech, a comic rant, since comedy is all he knows. Will this be enough to save him from the hemlock cup?
The whole War episode was absolutely priceless. His speech at his trial really skewered politicians and political institutions; I loved it. Times haven't changed since ancient Greece! Doing a little research, I found out Eupolis was a comic playwright who really existed, and who lived at the time of Aristophanes. But we don't know much about the real-life figure. Many of the characters in this novel were carried over from Part I; they all had their figurative roles to play. The only exception: Eupolis' Chorus-master of many years, Philonides, does fill in for the main actor in Eupolis newest play, Demes , upon the thespian's indisposition. If you haven't read Part I, Eupolis gives a marvellous summary of the previous action, in this book.
Highly recommended for lovers of black humor and satire.
The Pelopponesian War is still grinding its way on; remember, it lasted twenty-seven years. One of Athens' brilliant (?) generals decides to conquer Syracuse in Sicily. Eupolis is conscripted and travels with the army who fight and lose the Battle of Syracuse. Eupolis meets his old bête noir and rival, Aristophanes. On the army's retreat towards home, another brilliant (?) leader decides they should hide in a Walled Orchard from the enemy; he doesn't think ahead: they'll be penned in there, practically defenseless. There in the Orchard Eupolis meets the god Dionysus, who charges him with taking good care of the god's favorite comic playwright--Aristophanes, naturally. Whoever left alive breaks out of the Walled Orchard and takes ship on the Athenian fleet, which, incredibly, is defeated. The ships have to be left there on the Sicilian shore except one taking the wounded back to Athens. After many misadventures, the two playwrights reach Athens. Eupolis is arrested and charged with blasphemous treason for allegedly smashing many statues of the god Hermes. He is innocent [he was merely a witness and since that incident he's been away at the War]. He is forced to defend himself in court. He prepares a defense speech, a comic rant, since comedy is all he knows. Will this be enough to save him from the hemlock cup?
The whole War episode was absolutely priceless. His speech at his trial really skewered politicians and political institutions; I loved it. Times haven't changed since ancient Greece! Doing a little research, I found out Eupolis was a comic playwright who really existed, and who lived at the time of Aristophanes. But we don't know much about the real-life figure. Many of the characters in this novel were carried over from Part I; they all had their figurative roles to play. The only exception: Eupolis' Chorus-master of many years, Philonides, does fill in for the main actor in Eupolis newest play, Demes , upon the thespian's indisposition. If you haven't read Part I, Eupolis gives a marvellous summary of the previous action, in this book.
Highly recommended for lovers of black humor and satire.
September 8, 2019
Μπορεί ο Tom Holt να είναι έξοχος σατιρικός συγγραφέας ( edit review: άλλον είχα στο μυαλό μου όταν πήρα το βιβλίο) και ο πρωταγωνιστής ένας σύγχρονος του Αριστοφάνη κωμικός, αλλά το βιβλίο είναι πρωτίστως ιστορικό. Η περιγραφή της καταστροφικής σικελικής εκστρατείας είναι μοναδική. (Για μένα κυριολεκτικά αφού δεν είχα διαβάσει ποτέ κάτι σχετικό)
August 7, 2022
A humorous historic novel about The Sicilian Expedition 415BC.
The Athenians were no longer satisfied with their continuous dispute with the Spartans. They decided they could quickly occupy Syracuse on Sicily. But that was a serious miscalculation.
War and humor are a daring mix. In one paragraph you read about atrocities, in the next your are supposed to laugh. Another problem for me was that I am not interested in history that much (scandalous, I know). I guess that history buffs will enjoy the novel much more than I did.
Another reason why I did not finish the book was the slow pace.
Eupolis´ and Aristophanes' escape through Sicily went on and on. So I quit with some regret
B.T.W: I did some reading in Wikipedia and it seems that the facts about the war and its military leaders are depicted pretty accurately.
2.5/5
The Athenians were no longer satisfied with their continuous dispute with the Spartans. They decided they could quickly occupy Syracuse on Sicily. But that was a serious miscalculation.
War and humor are a daring mix. In one paragraph you read about atrocities, in the next your are supposed to laugh. Another problem for me was that I am not interested in history that much (scandalous, I know). I guess that history buffs will enjoy the novel much more than I did.
Another reason why I did not finish the book was the slow pace.
Eupolis´ and Aristophanes' escape through Sicily went on and on. So I quit with some regret
B.T.W: I did some reading in Wikipedia and it seems that the facts about the war and its military leaders are depicted pretty accurately.
2.5/5
February 3, 2022
3.5* This had its moments, but wasn't as fun as the first one. It did capture the essence of writing about a (relatively) normal person during a time of high-falutin' heroes, with that person's concerns at the forefront.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews