Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon

Crébillon (b. February 13, 1674, Dijon – d. June 17, 1762, Paris), French playwright. Member of the Académie Française from 1731, representative of the aristocratic-epigonal wing of the late period of French classicism. He expressed the mood of aristocratic society during the era of the erosion of its moral foundations. Crébillon's plays include: The Death of Brutus's Children [Le Mort des enfants de Brutus], Idoménée (both 1705), Atreus and Thyestes [Atrée et Thieste] (1707), Électre (1708), Rhadamiste et Zénobie (1711), Sémiramis (1717), and others.

The tragedy Rhadamiste et Zénobie is based on an ancient Georgian and Armenian historical plot. It depicts a tragedy occurring in the 1st century in the palace of Pharsman [Pharasmanes] in the capital of Iberia. The author relies on ancient sources, specifically Tacitus. Although historical accuracy is often lacking, the "glorious King of Iberia" Pharsman is presented as a strong, fearless, and steadfast warrior. The depiction of Mithridates, King of Armenia, is also noteworthy. In the play, greater emphasis is placed on the personal drama—the tragic love story of a Georgian man and woman; emotion is contrasted with duty to the homeland, which is given precedence. Reason triumphs over emotion. The play enjoyed considerable popularity both in France and beyond its borders. It was successfully staged at the Comédie-Française even during Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani's diplomatic mission to Paris. It was last staged in 1829. In 1720, Handel's opera Radamisto was staged in England. A. Griboyedov was also writing a drama titled Rhadamiste and Zenobia, which remained unfinished.

Literature: გვახარია გ., ჟ. პ. დე კრებიიონის ტრაგედია ქართულ სიუჟეტზე, «ლიტერატურული გაზეთი», 1955, 9 სექტ. №36; ტაბაღუა ი., სულხან-საბა ორბელიანის ელჩობა საფრანგეთში, „მაცნე“, 1965, №3; ფანჩულიძე დ., ქართულ-ფრანგული ლიტერატურული ურთიერთობის ისტორიისათვის, თბ., 1969; ფაღავა ა., ფრანგი დრამატურგის პიესა საქართველოზე, «ლიტერატურა და ხელოვნება», 1944, №12; Орловская Н. К., Грузия в литературах Западной Европы XVII-XVIII вв., Тб., 1965.

D. Fantsulidze