Camp Pendleton service members find common ground with Sophocles play

Mark Brighton

Though the dramatic arts and the art of war don’t appear to have anything in common on the surface, the two found common ground recently at Camp Pendleton when servicemen and women, along with their families, were treated with a reading of an ancient Greek play.

The play was Sophocles’ “Ajax,” which tells the story of a Greek soldier returning home from war and the psychological effects he endures. During a recent performance at Camp Pendleton, some military families said they related to the 2,500-year-old play, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Christina Whittenmore told the news provider that her husband was like the play’s main character Ajax, in that he couldn’t leave the horrors of war on the battlefield.

The event was made possible by the organization Theater of War, which presents readings of “Ajax” and “Philoctetes” to military installations around the country. According to the group’s website, the readings are meant as a form of therapy for soldiers who have suffer from battlefild stress.

Combating military stress has been an ongoing issue for the U.S. military. Recently, it was reported that the Pentagon was experimenting with aroma therapy and acupuncture to help with combat stress, according to Reuters.

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