Herakles Gone Mad: Rethinking Heroism in an Age of Endless War

A decorated hero returns home after multiple tours of duty only to find the lives of his loved ones threatened. To make his home safe, he does battle one last time—one time too many. He slays his enemies but then, unable in his rage to tell friend from foe, murders his wife and children. He blacks out, and, when his wits return, his only thoughts are of death. Then a friend whose life he once saved in battle arrives, offering his hand and his heart. The long road home begins. Story of post-traumatic stress disorder of soldiers returning from Iraq? No—Euripides. No playwright, ancient or contemporary, has written with greater power and poignancy about war and its enduring wounds than has this Greek who lived 24 centuries ago and was himself a veteran. Euripides’ misunderstood masterpiece, Herakles Gone Mad, a play for dark times, reveals both the wreckage of war and the luminous power of love. In this volume, the distinguished author, translator, educator, and playwright Robert Emmet Meagher presents a new eminently actable translation of Euripides’ Herakles along with a concise commentary on the play and an extensive essay on the trauma of war, the true face of heroism, and the healing power of friendship and community.