复杂的人物关系网交织出爱恨情仇的史诗，每个人物都身不由己，充满了戏剧张力。ThesubjectofDanièleHuilletandJean-MarieStraub’sDerToddesEmpedokles(TheDeathofEmpedocles,1987)istheGreekpre-SocraticphilosopherEmpedocles(c.490BC–430BC),wholivedintheGreekcolonyofAgrigentuminSicily.HistheoriesarementionedinseveralofPlato’sdialogues.Hemaintainedthatallmatterismadeupoffourirreducibleelementswater,earth,airandfire.Amysticandapoet,heisconsideredtobethefounderofclassicalrhetoric.HeisalsothoughttobethelastGreekphilosophertowriteinverse;twofragmentsofhisworkssurviveKatharmoi(Purifications)andPeriPhuseôs(OnNature).Anadvocateofdemocracy,hecameintoconflictwithhisfellowcitizensofAgrigentumand,asresult,wasbanishedwithhisyoungdisciple,Pausanius.Whenhewasaskedtoreturn,hepreferredtocommitsuicidebythrowinghimselfintotheactivevolcanoatMountAetna. TheGermanwriterFriedrichHölderlinwrotetwoversionsofDerToddesEmpedoklesin1798and1800,andafinalthirdversionin1820,allthreeultimatelyunfinished.Theywereconceivedasfive-acttragediesandallthreedifferinplot.AccordingtoMichaelHamburger,Hölderlin’sEnglish-languagetranslator, themainreasonwhyHölderlinfinishednoversionoftheplaymustbethatheremainedtoocloselyidentifiedwithEmpedocles,attheveryperiodinhislifewhenhisownviewofthepoetasphilosopher,prophetandpriest–andastragichero–wassubjecttoperpetualcrisisandre-examination. Huillet-Straub’sTheDeathofEmpedoclesisbasedonHölderlin’sfirstversion(thelongestofthethree),whereasBlackSinisbasedonthethirdversion.