Greek tragedy and class issues

"It starts out slowly
but still the strength of the gods
is trustworthy. And it punishes
those mortals who honor foolish arrogance
and those who, in the madness
of their opinions, do not extol things divine."

Euripides, Bacchae, tr. Stephen Esposito, 882-887


I used to think life experiences were responsible for my inability to go along with certain stereotypes common to my line of work. As in, I don't think people who didn't go to college are my inferiors or at a permanent disadvantage in life (except 'on paper'). Ditto for those who have children before 30, have served in the military, etc.

But I've been reading a lot of Greek tragedy lately. And I'm wondering if 10+ years of immersion in the classical world is responsible for this attitude as well. Now, tragedy was composed and performed by the elite (and the male). But if a civilization that was even more stratified than ours can put profound speeches and sentiments in the mouths of slaves, foreigners and women, surely we can take people as individuals and accept that there can be many routes to becoming a well-rounded, thoughtful person. Pin It