Source edition
Eurpides Epistulae. Epistolographi Graeci. Hercher, Rudolph, editor. Paris: A. F. Didot, 1873.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This collection of letters, attributed to the Athenian tragic poet Euripides, centers on his journey to and stay at the court of King Archelaus of Macedon. Writing to various friends and to the king himself, the author articulates his ethical stance, emphasizing his spirit of self-sufficiency (autarkeia) and his refusal of excessive funds and gifts. The correspondence also reveals personal connections, such as his relief and concern over the shipwreck of his fellow dramatist Sophocles. Furthermore, the author praises King Archelaus for his wise and humane governance, particularly his patronage of scholars and artists. In defending himself against public criticism that he sought wealth in his old age, the writer strongly denies any greed for money or power, presenting instead a portrait of a poet dedicated to intellectual and moral integrity.