Power, wealth and privilege in Euripides’ representation of stasis

Painful reflections on war are frequent in Euripides’ theatre: the causes and consequences of civil war are often investigated in the extant plays. In particular, the representations of Heracles and Phoenician Women are emblematic. The poet’s large collection of fragments presents isolated passages on the theme, whose rhetorical analysis nevertheless allows us to reconstruct a significant picture. At the origin of the ἐχθρὰ Στάσις (see fr. 453, 10 Kn.) there is often the social conflict between the arrogant power of the rich and the furious envy of the poor, increased by a distorted conception of values. Oratorical skill can foment or extinguish conflict: its virtuous use therefore becomes an essential virtue for both the citizen and the ruler.