Mérope

The text is a reworking by Voltaire of the Italian tragedy Merope (1713) by Scipione Maffei, dating from 1736/1737.

Voltaire met Maffei in Paris in 1733 and secured his agreement that it should be adapted into a French tragedy.

[2] Voltaire decided to premiere it only after the staging of his tragedy Mahomet, although he had completed work on it in 1737.

After the premiere the audience called Voltaire onto the stage in front of the curtain - the first time this had ever happened in the history of French theatre.

Mérope was adapted into English by Aaron Hill, who also translated other works by Voltaire, Zara (Zaire) and Alzira (Alzire) for the London stage.