In the war between the ancient Greeks and Romans, a group of Athenians were seized and held captive at Syracuse. To help pass the time, they enacted many scenes from the plays of Euripides.* Their captors were so favourably impressed by the beauty of the verses that instead of treating their prisoners cruelly, as was their custom, they persuaded them to continue their play-acting and held them as honoured guests.
Upon their return to Athens, the former captives went to the home of Euripides and informed him of the effect of his plays upon the supposedly heartless men of Syracuse. So great was their gratitude towards the great dramatist that they treated him as though he had actually rescued them in combat on the field of battle.
古希臘與羅馬戰爭期間，一群雅典將士被俘，囚於西拉庫斯。他們為排遣無聊，從尤里披蒂茲*所撰戲劇之中，抽出多場，演折子戲。戲劇文詞之美，令俘虜他們者心醉，一改殘酷對待戰俘的習慣，待之如上賓，並請他們繼續演戲。
這些戰俘獲釋回到雅典之後，聯袂到尤里披蒂茲家中，述說其戲劇之妙，竟能感動那些據說鐵石為心的西拉庫斯人。他們對這位大戲劇家感恩戴德，簡直當他是親上戰場，從兵戈之中，把他們救出。
*尤里披蒂茲是古希臘悲劇作家，卒於公元前四零六年。