Athanasia Chrysafis Biska

The notion of "catharsis" - the process by which, drama purges the soul - was well fathomed by ancient Greeks. Two thousand years on, the therapeutic uses of drama continue to resound.

The U.S. army has chosen to adopt the method to treat veterans˘ post-traumatic stress after their return from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Pentagon is financing a $3.7 million project, according to which, the "Theater of War" company will engage soldiers into reading Greek drama plays that recount similar circumstances having occurred some thousand years ago.

Panic, nightmares, delusions, despair, are some of the feelings experienced by the American troops who return after having spent some time on the war field. Sophocles˘ plays "Ajax" and "Philoctetes" involve characters, who exert violence after returning to their country and show erratic behavior.

The New York Times report on the Pentagon project (The Anguish of War for Today˘s Soldiers, Explored by Sophocles) and describe how the dramaturgical process of reading leads to a much-craved "catharsis."