N. J. Sewell-Rutter - Guilt by Descent: Moral Inheritance and Decision Making in Greek Tragedy

OXFORD CLASSICAL MONOGRAPHS

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Moral Inheritance and Decision Making in Greek Tragedy

N. J. SEWELL-RUTTER

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N. J. Sewell-Rutter 2007

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First published 2007

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This monograph is based on the D.Phil. thesis that I wrote at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and submitted in 2004. My first thanks are due to three scholars, two of whom saw me through my graduate studies, and one through the process of revising and expanding the work for publication. Richard Rutherford supervised me from 2000 to 2002, and Gregory Hutchinson from 2002 to completion in late 2004. Robert Parker then advised me throughout the taxing eighteen months during which my thesis metamorphosed into a book, and he read several drafts with constant good humour. All three have been unfailingly encouraging, helpful, and critical in the best sense of the word, and they have given freely of their acumen and learning.

It is also a pleasure to thank the many teachers, colleagues, and fellow students with whom I have discussed my ideas over the years and from whom I have received valuable suggestions of various kinds, notably: Peter Barber, Ewen Bowie, the late Michael Comber, Richard Hewitt, and Christopher Pelling. My thesis was acutely and constructively examined by Armand DAngour and Alex Garvie.

I also thank three institutions in particular for fostering and facilitating my progress in the study of Classics: my school, Cheltenham College, where I first resolved to be a Classicist; University College, Oxford, where I read Mods and Greats; and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where over four years of graduate study this enquiry germinated and began to approach its present form. During my studies at Corpus, I received welcome support from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), which I also thank warmly.

I owe to three people great but agreeable debts for their friendly support and for gladdening me through a long project: Louise Calder, Christopher Holt, and Rupert Stone.

My last and culminating thanks are reserved for my family.

NJS-R

The names of ancient authors and the titles of their works are generally abbreviated according to the scheme in S. Hornblower and A. Spawforth (eds.), The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd edn. (Oxford, 1996), xxix-liv: exceptions are self-explanatory.

Standard abbreviations are used for the titles of journals cited in the list of references at the end of the book.

Ancient texts are generally quoted according to the text and numeration of the latest Oxford Classical Text, with the following exceptions: