After the disastrous events in Sicily, many Athenians were saved thanks to Euripides. The Greeks that lived far from Athens yearned for his poetry. Sicilians were no exception. Even a small sample of his poetry recited by a traveler pleased them a lot. They memorised it and passed it on with great pleasure. Many of the people on the failed expedition to Sicily embraced Euripides on their return with much affection. They told him that they had been released from slavery because they taught the people that had them everything they could of Euripides’ poetry. Some had even been given drink or food after the battle as they wandered around simply for singing a choral passage from one of his plays.
Life of Nicias – Plutarch
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