Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon – Forgiving the Unforgivable

Glorious Exploits is a novel by Ferdia Lennon, published in January 2024. It is set in the aftermath of Athens’ invasion of Sicily in 412 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. Defeated Athenian soldiers have been rounded up and herded into quarries – concentration camps essentially – near the city of Syracuse. Two local, unemployed potters, fans of Athenian theatre, get it into their heads to find actors amongst the prisoners who would be willing to stage a production of two plays by Euripides. The story follows their efforts to stage the plays, and ultimately find friendship with the enemy.

Through the lens of the present day, past culture often takes on a shiny polish, becoming the sort of thing studied in schools and universities. In their own times, however, posh classics were still in the category of show business. How to recreate that more authentic, contemporary feel? Glorious Exploits takes the initially surprising decision to have its characters speak in Irish vernacular, where good things are ‘cracker’. After about a chapter I just accepted that Fifth Century BC Syracuse was like an episode of Derry Girls. It worked very nicely in setting the right tone, a way of correcting the focus of that lens of the present.

So, the two potters, after some ups and downs, actually manage to stage Euripides’ Medea, and The Trojan Women in an improvised quarry theatre. Inevitably, in working together, Sicilians and Athenians gain an understanding of each other.

And this is where the Euripides plays themselves become interesting. While the process of staging the plays fosters a feeling of forgiveness and togetherness between the Athenians and Sicilians involved, the plays themselves are definitely not fluffy. Euripides is not the sort of writer to give advice about being kind. In fact, his plays show people at their most unforgiving. In Medea, the hero Jason comes back from an adventurous trip having won the Golden Fleece, a success that owes much to his gifted wife Medea. And how does he thank her? By planning to divorce her and marry a younger woman. Medea is not impressed and plots terrible revenge. She murders Jason’s girlfriend, the girlfriend’s father, and even her own children, as a way of hurting Jason in the most profound way possible. The same pitilessness is evident in the next play on this dark double bill, The Trojan Women. After conquering Troy, victorious Agamemnon takes Cassandra home as his trophy wife. His old wife Clytemnestra responds by murdering both her old husband and his new wife.

These are plays of vengeance not understanding. But that might be the point. During the performance we see the audience encouraged to see situations from the point of view of the most entrenched positions.

‘One moment I’m with Jason, the next Medea, and it swings this way and that, like the battle in the great harbour…’

So we get an unvarnished view of the reality of conflict, where there is no way the combatants will reconcile. And yet looking on, it’s possible to see both sides. Seeing both sides is described in terms of a battle. Maybe the final tragedy is that understanding doesn’t necessarily bring peace. When a wronged Sicilian takes his revenge on Athenians, our understanding of his motivations does not stop him lashing out.

Glorious Exploits is funny, hard edged, and taking its lead from Euripides, relentlessly unsentimental. It does not promise that people will get on and be nice. But like Euripides it does suggest that understanding can be present in the bitterest of divides. A play is like a battle to understand, the argument swinging from one side to the other. If we are destined to face battles, the battle to understand is the best one to fight.