MI apologize to the writer Alessandro Baricco if to find a breath of hope of peace I will resort to dialogue of the historian Tucidide Athens against Melowho became, with him narrative voice, a suggestive theatrical piece. With the outline of 100 cello, music by Giovanni Sollima and the voices of the actresses Valeria Solarino (Athens) and Stefania Rocca (Melo). Nothing more for this show that has been traveling from 2023 Italy.
We are in the Greece of the fifth century BC ChristAthens the democratic is at war with Sparta, land of soldiers and oligarchs. Surprisingly, the small island of Melo in the Cyclades, an ally of Athens, no longer wants to fight. He asks for peace, for himself, for his inhabitants. The ambassadors’ ballet begins.
There Tucidide abandons the neutral gaze of the historian and nails you in the heart of the debate, Where the stringent and ferocious logic of the strongest, Athens, prevents us from taking to agreements with the weakest, Melo. There is no discussion between learning. The Melii invoke the right to neutrality and autonomy, the Athenians’ counteracts with strategic reasons: they cannot show sagging or make exceptions. Melii believe noble to defend their freedom, the Athenians invite them to be rather wise and surrender.
Danda Santini, director of “Io Donna” (photo by Carlo Vangeri Gilbert).
By law of nature will win the strongest (“Whoever is stronger does what he can and those who are weaker gives in”), and so much worse for justice, the right, and even for the common good. The attacker is right on the aggregation and the punishment will be exemplary: killing all men of Melo, deportation as slaves of women and children, destruction of the city.
Shortly thereafter the decline of Greek civilization would beginconsumed by the wars between the city of the state, but this does not console. It is difficult to accept the violence of the wolf of Phaedrus that attacks the lamb only because it can do it, of theHomo Homini Lupusthe man always in ferocious conflict with his fellow men, of those who pecame is done and the wolf eats it. Always wolves, always beasts, still here we are.
(Illustration of Cinzia Zenocchini).
But Baricco is generous. He does not let us abandon the theater in dismay. Recover another episode from Tucididewhich took place a few years earlier, in Mitilene, on the island of Lesbos. Here too there was a revolt against the Athenian Empire and Athens wonders about the fate of the city: exterminate everyone or execute only the rebels? The verdict: death and destruction for everyone is discussed, in the evening.
The ship that has to bring the inauspicious verdict to Mitilene immediately starts, the night drops. In the morning Athens awakens. Someone falters, has a doubt, the decision of the evening before seems excessive. We think again. It turns up, the clemency wins. A new ship leaves to disavow the previous oneproceeds sent – will it be the wind of salvation? -, and it reaches quick to mythilene.
There a man scrutinizes the horizon (Baricco: “There is always someone who scrutinizes the horizon on the sea”), sees the new vessel, understands that it is another Athenian sail, has an intuition, something is happening. The good news comes in time, the extermination is averted.
BARICCO concludes: we are still and always capable of doubt, of correction. We can arm a second ship after the first. It happened, it’s history, not legend.
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