Ion
Also known as: Ion (Euripides), Ion (tragedy), Ion of Euripides
At Delphi, the temple servant Ion learns he is the exposed son of Creusa of Athens and Apollo. A mistaken oracle leads Xuthus to claim Ion as his own, Creusa plots against the youth, recognition tokens reveal the truth, and Athena appears to reconcile the family and prophesy Ion’s Athenian destiny.
Description
Set at Apollo’s sanctuary, the play begins with Hermes recounting how Apollo fathered a child on the Athenian princess Creusa and left the infant at Delphi, where the Pythia reared him. Years later, Creusa and her husband Xuthus consult the oracle for heirs. Told that the first man he meets is his son, Xuthus assumes Ion is his by a past liaison and plans to adopt him. Creusa, grieving her hidden rape and lost child, plots to kill Ion but the attempt fails. Recognition tokens preserved from Ion’s exposure reveal Creusa as his mother. In a final epiphany, Athena confirms Apollo’s paternity, instructs Xuthus to maintain the fiction for political peace, and foretells that Ion will be forefather of the Ionians and a restorer of Athenian prestige.
Historiography
Ion survives through the medieval manuscript tradition of Euripides’ plays, supplemented by papyrus fragments; the text shows typical Euripidean features of recognition (anagnorisis) and a deus ex machina ending. Ancient scholia and later commentators note its Delphic setting, Athenian autochthony themes, and unusual absence of Apollo on stage. Modern dating remains debated, with stylistic and political readings placing it in the late fifth century BCE. The play’s reception has emphasized its exploration of oracles, legitimacy, and Athenian identity.
Date Notes
Production date uncertain; commonly placed in the late fifth century BCE, likely shortly after 414 BCE.
Major Characters
- Ion
- Creusa
- Xuthus
- Apollo
- Athena
- Hermes
Myths
- Apollo and Creusa
- Exposure and Survival of Ion
- Recognition at Delphi
- Athena’s Prophecy of Ionian Descent
Facts
- The play is set entirely at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi.
- Apollo never appears on stage; Athena delivers the final revelation as deus ex machina.
- Hermes’ prologue supplies the backstory of Ion’s birth and exposure.
- The oracle tells Xuthus that the first man he meets upon leaving will be his son.
- Xuthus believes Ion is his own by a past affair and plans adoption.
- Creusa, not knowing Ion is her child, attempts to have him killed with poisoned wine.
- Recognition occurs through tokens preserved from Ion’s infancy, produced by the Delphic priestess.
- Athena instructs the family to keep the paternity secret for political harmony.
- Ion is foretold as the eponymous ancestor of the Ionian people.
- The drama interrogates oracular ambiguity and Athenian claims to divine sanction.