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.