Ἴων (play by Euripides) Add a review

Ion (; Ancient Greek: Ἴων, Iōn) is an ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides. On the subject of dating this work, no scholarly consensus exists; this is due to the fact that no certain reliable criterion that could potentially be utilised for this purpose has been found. Various possible dates have been proposed. Of these, the "dates most commonly proposed by modern scholarship are 418/7, 414/3 and 412". Central to the plot is the story of its namesake, Ion, a young and willing servant in Apollo's temple who inadvertently discovers his biological origins. Of equal import to the plot is the story of Creusa, Ion's mother, whose words and actions are heavily informed by the abuse she previously experienced at the hands of Apollo.

Euripides' retelling of this myth departs from the norm in that it calls the morality and superiority of the gods into question. Though the theme of individuals railing against disasters that the Fates or the gods have wrought is oft-seen in tragedy, by explicitly challenging the notion that gods have a right to govern the destinies of human beings, Creusa and Ion depart from convention. In the end, however, Euripides takes a step back from this precipitous development: Creusa retracts her earlier criticism of Apollo, and the status quo is preserved.