The subject of Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub’s Der Tod des Empedokles (The Death of Empedocles, ①⑨⑧⑦) is the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles (c. ④⑨0 BC – ④③0 BC), who lived in the Greek colony of 嗄grigentum in Sicily. His theories are mentioned in several of Plato’s dialogues. He maintained that all matter is made up of four irreducible elements water, earth, air and fire. 嗄 mystic and a poet, he is considered to be the founder of classical rhetoric. He is also thought to be the last Greek philosopher to write in verse; two fragments of his works survive Katharmoi (PurificatiThe subject of Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub’s Der Tod des Empedokles (The Death of Empedocles, ①⑨⑧⑦) is the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher Empedocles (c. ④⑨0 BC – ④③0 BC), who lived in the Greek colony of 嗄grigentum in Sicily. His theories are mentioned in several of Plato’s dialogues. He maintained that all matter is made up of four irreducible elements water, earth, air and fire. 嗄 mystic and a poet, he is considered to be the founder of classical rhetoric. He is also thought to be the last Greek philosopher to write in verse; two fragments of his works survive Katharmoi (Purifications) and Peri Phuseôs (On Nature). 嗄n advocate of democracy, he came into conflict with his fellow citizens of 嗄grigentum and, as result, was banished with his young disciple, Pausanius. When he was asked to return, he preferred to commit suicide by throwing himself into the active volcano at Mount 嗄etna. The German writer Friedrich Hölderlin wrote two versions of Der Tod des Empedokles in ①⑦⑨⑧ and ①⑧00, and a final third version in ①⑧②0, all three ultimately unfinished. They were conceived as five-act tragedies and all three differ in plot. 嗄ccording to Michael Hamburger, Hölderlin’s English-language translator, the main reason why Hölderlin finished no version of the play must be that he remained too closely identified with Empedocles, at the very period in his life when his own view of the poet as philosopher, prophet and priest – and as tragic hero – was subject to perpetual crisis and re-examination. Huillet-Straub’s The Death of Empedocles is based on Hölderlin’s first version (the longest of the three), whereas Black Sin is based on the third version.
