Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle as they conclude their deep dive into Euripides’ Alcestis. Explore the “duel of cowards,” the arrival of Heracles, and how the study of Greek tragedy informs the Latin language tradition.
Introduction: Dropping In Medias Res
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 17 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe return to finish what they started: a microscopic look at Euripides’ baffling, tragicomic play, Alcestis.
If you are a student of the Latin language or a lover of Greco-Roman civilization, this episode is a feast. Picking up where they left off, the hosts drop us in medias res (into the middle of things)—a classic Latin language literary term—to explore the fallout of Admetus’s terrible bargain.
While last week set the stage with Apollo’s servitude and the deal with Death, this week we confront the ugly reality of the situation: Is Admetus the worst husband in Greek mythology? And is Heracles just the “Incredible Hulk with a six-pack”?
The Unlikable Admetus: An Egotistical Host?
The episode opens with a scathing quote from scholars C.A.E. Luschnig and H.M. Roisman, describing Admetus as “an egotistical, self-absorbed, and obtuse man with a limited capacity for understanding anything but his own immediate wants”.
Dr. Winkle admits that Admetus is one of the most “disgusting” characters in tragedy because it is baffling why Alcestis loves him. He brings everything upon himself yet blames everyone else.
The central theme of the play revolves around Xenia (hospitality), or perhaps hyper-philoxenia (excessive hospitality). Admetus is so obsessed with being a people-pleaser that he cannot say “no” to anyone—not to Apollo, not to Heracles, and certainly not to the opportunity to save his own skin.
The Creepy Statue Promise
One of the most disturbing moments in the play occurs when Admetus tries to comfort his dying wife. He promises that he will never marry again because he fears a noverca (the Latin language term for a wicked stepmother) harming their children.
But he goes further. In a moment of bizarre grief, Admetus vows to commission a craftsman to carve a “splendid image” of Alcestis. He tells her:
“I’ll place it in my bed and I will hold, kiss, and caress it as if it were you yourself… a cold delight, yes. But maybe it will lighten the weight on my heart.”
Dr. Noe and Dr. Winkle agree: this is incredibly creepy. It highlights Admetus’s flaw—he is good at making extravagant, poetic promises, but he fails at the one thing he should do: die in her place.
The Duel of Cowards: Admetus vs. Pheres
If Admetus is unlikable, his father Pheres gives him a run for his money. The scene between father and son is described by the hosts as a “duel of cowards”.
Admetus attacks his father for refusing to die for him, claiming that since Pheres is old, he should have “taken one for the team”. Pheres, however, drops all pretense of politeness. He tells Admetus:
“I’m not obliged to die to suit your whims. There’s no ancestral custom that fathers give their lives to save their children… Don’t die for me and I won’t die for you.”
Pheres delivers the ultimate rebuke: “You love to be alive, to see the daylight. What makes you think your father doesn’t?”. While Pheres is unsympathetic, he exposes Admetus’s hypocrisy. Admetus is accusing his father of cowardice while standing over the corpse of the wife he let die in his place.
Enter Heracles: The Hulk with a Six-Pack
Just as the tragedy hits its peak, Euripides sends in the comic relief: Heracles.
Unaware that Alcestis has died (because Admetus lied to him to be a “good host”), Heracles arrives ready to party. Dr. Winkle describes him as a “dumb jock” or the “Incredible Hulk with a six-pack,” showing up with garlands in his hair, ready to booze it up while the house is in mourning.
However, once Heracles learns the truth from a servant, his demeanor shifts. He resolves to save the day to preserve his own reputation and repay Admetus’s hospitality.
“I’m going to track down that black-robed bugger Death himself. I’ll sneak up on him, put him in a headlock and squeeze his puny neck until he gives me what I want.”4.
The Ambiguous Ending: A Statue Comes to Life?
Heracles succeeds in wrestling Death and brings a veiled woman back to Admetus. He presents her as a prize won in a contest. Admetus, trying to keep his promise to his dead wife, reluctantly takes the woman’s hand—thereby technically breaking his vow.
When the veil is lifted, it is Alcestis. But she does not speak. Heracles explains she must remain silent for three days to be deconsecrated from the gods below.
The hosts debate the ending:
- The Optimistic View: Heracles found a loophole, and everyone lives happily ever after.
- The Tragic View: The silence is unsettling. Is she really back? Or is she just a statue, a “cold delight” that Admetus wished for? Furthermore, does her return mean Admetus is back on the ledger to die?
Dr. Winkle finds the tragic view more compelling. Admetus has learned nothing, and his wife is now a silent stranger in his house.
Theological Takeaway: Justice vs. Power
Dr. Noe concludes with a thought on the transition of Greek thought. Quoting E.R. Dodds, he notes that for Christians, Stoics, and Platonists, it is essential that God is just. But in the older world of Homer and the early tragedians, the gods were defined by power, not justice.
Euripides writes at the friction point of these two worldviews. In Alcestis, we see the messy, sometimes unjust, interaction between gods and men, where hospitality is rewarded but character is not necessarily reformed.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Winkle leaves us with a quote from Calvin Trillin:
“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.”
Valete!
Resources for the Latin Language Learner
- Hackett Publishing: For excellent translations of Euripides (like the Diane Arnson Svarlien translation used in this episode) and Latin language resources, use code AN2020 for 20% off at hackettpublishing.com.
- Ratio Coffee: Keep your study sessions fueled with the best brew. Use code ANCO for 15% off at ratiocoffee.com.
Ad Navseam Merch: Pick up a “Classical Gourmands” t-shirt at the website.
