About the work
Bion is a one-act comédie en vers mêlée de musique (opéra comique) by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman based on the novel Les voyages d'Anténor by Étienne-François de Lantier. It premiered on 27 December 1800 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.
Plot
The ageing poet Bion takes in two travellers, the philosopher Agénor and his companion Cratès. Agénor falls in love with Bion's ward Nysa, a freed slave who returns his feelings but feels bound to Bion by gratitude. When Bion appears to leave, the couple admit their love; Bion returns, tests the pair, and — having known of their love all along — finally blesses their union.
Cultural significance
The work's lasting appeal is shown by a revival in 1802, two years after its premiere.