Product Description
TRANSLATED BY E.D.A. MORSHEADMA. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Line numbers missing
While the translation is good, this edition is missing line numbers.This may not bother the pleasure reader, but if you are buying this book for a class, or for other scholarly work, the absence makes it difficult to discuss in class. ... Read more

Product Description

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews (2)

The Oresteia trilogy
Works of Aeschylus. Includes ALL SEVEN tragedies: The Oresteia trilogy, The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants and Prometheus Bound (mobi)

The Oresteia trilogy is the most powerful, moving, intense, bloody, achingly sad and beautiful drama I have ever read. Do not read this simply for your intellectual, moral, and spiritual improvement - experience this because it is so enjoyable. The latest Hollywood films cannot compare for plot, intrigue, violence, gore, intensity, entertainment, or cutting edge creativity.
From the plays' depiction of horrendous and unspeakable crimes to its climactic courtroom drama, you'll see why so many ancient playgoers fainted in the audience and why modern readers are so shocked and on the edge of their armchairs. Even if you've never read a "classic" or a "great book," read this.

Kindle edition
Works of Aeschylus. Includes ALL SEVEN tragedies: The Oresteia trilogy, The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants and Prometheus Bound. FREE Author's ... version. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

If you are looking to study Aeschylus or to read it for pleasure, I would recommend this ebook. Since Aeschylus' death there has been no one to match him, but now there is at least a way to enjoy him. ... Read more

Product Description
In the "Oresteia" - the only trilogy in Greek drama which survives from antiquity - Aeschylus took as his subject the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. Moving from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, its spirit of struggle and regeneration is eternal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Another View
As a great classic 'The Oresteia' by Aeschylus merits a full 5 stars.I will, however, question Aeschylus logic and motive in creating this play.Aeschylus was an Athenian who participated in the war with Persia and stated that he fought in the battle on the plain of Marathon.He is a patriot who promotes the glory and happy existence of Athens, the City of Athena.

At the same time, the basic concept for this play is drawn from the Odyssey.In Homer's great work Odysseus [Ulysses] learns that Agammemnon, following the destruction of Troy, manages to successfully get home to Mycenae.He arrives with much loot and with his sexual slave, Cassandra, recently princess of Troy.Agammemnon receives quite a homecoming.He and Cassandra are slaughtered by Agammemnon's wife, Clytaemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus.The motive for the killings are apparently multiple.Clytaemnestra is quite understandably outraged that Agammemnon, immediately prior to sailing away to Troy, sacrificed their daughter, Iphigeneia, for favorable winds.Clytaemnestra, perhaps in revenge, takes a lover and, along with him, plots Agammemnon's death.When Agammemnon actually does arrive, another motive arrives in the form of helpless Cassandra.Paradoxically, Clytaemnestra seems to be jealous.Another stated motive is power.Both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra supposedly want to be King and Queen of Mycenae--BUT--Clytemnestra is already Queen so this can't be her motive.

She and her lover, Aegisthus, do both Agammemnon and Cassandra to death.Clytaemnestra's son by Agammemnon, Orestes, complicit with his sister, Electra, and egged on by the God, Apollo, kill both mother and lover.

These are the bare bones of the story as told to Odysseus.Aeschylus, himself, can't deviate from the 'facts' as delivered in the Odyssey because virtually everyone in the Greek World knows the story by heart.Aeschylus, quite aware of the complexities and ironies of the situation, decides to use the story for his own purposes but it is a bit of a stretch.Interestingly, In Aeschylus' Play, Clytaemnestra facing death at the hands of her own son and arguing for her life, never once uses her strongest argument i.e. that Agammemnon had slaughtered Iphigeneia, Orestes' own sister.Later, when guilt-plagued [Furies-attacked] Orestes is tried for matricide in a trial presided over by Athena--including 10 wise Athenian judges--the prosecuting Furies don't once use their strongest prosecutorial point which is, again, Agammemnon's sacrifice of Iphigeneia.

Instead, Apollo, working for the defense, says that he ordered/influenced Orestes to perform the act, therefore Orestes is innocent.Athena, who'd showed marked preference for the Greeks led by Agammemnon on the Plains of Troy, throws in her vote in favor of Orestes which apparently creates a 50-50 split, which by Athenian Law means that Orestes is freed of the Furies curse.This may be a minor point but with Athena acting as an 11th Juror there can be no 50-50 split.The play ends with Athena convincing the Furies to be 'good' and to bring only happiness to Athens.There is a lyrical paen to the benefit of glorious Athens.

Several problems:There is a 50-50 split, therefore half of the judges regard Orestes as a criminal and matricide.An extension of this is that these jurors recognize the specious nature of the defense argument.Also, Cassandra, one of the more symphathetic figures of the Trojan War and, arguably, the most sympathetic figure of this play, is also murdered.Cassandra is entirely guiltless of any crime yet her murder is never laid at Clytaemnestra's feet.Apparently the murder of a slave, even a slave of Blood Royal, isn't regarded as much of a crime. Agammemnon, however, actually is guilty of a 'crime' against Clytaemnestra by sacrificing their daughter.On the other hand, Agammemnon's defense must surely be that it was a necessary sacrifice to the benefit of the Gods and the Gods, themselves, would probably praise rather than condemn Agammemnon for this otherwise loathesome act.At the same time, Clytaemnestra does loathe Agammemnon for it and this hatred likely directs her hand.This fact is lightly skimmed over in the play.In a sense, Orestes is not only a matricide but, in killing his mother, is indirectly complicit in his own sister's sacrifice.All this is skimmed over although neither Aeschylus nor his audience can be ignorant of these facts.

I'll repeat.The major crime committed here is the murder of Cassandra, not Agammemnon or Clytemnestra.Either because of custom or because facts can be inconvenient, Aeschylus glosses over this almost entirely.

In this light, 'The Orestia', for all its strength and beauty, becomes no more than a vehicle for Athenian propaganda.It wasn't enough.Fifty years later Athens was occupied by triumphant Spartans.

Great Translation of an Immortal Classic
There is no denying The Oresteia's greatness and profound importance; it is a foundational text not only in drama but in literature itself and remains a clear masterpiece after nearly 2,500 years. As the earliest known dramatist whose work survives, Aeschylus' influence is impossible to exaggerate, and this, the first extant Greek dramatic trilogy, is his greatest known achievement. The story itself is enough to captivate after all this time; the profound tragedy still stirs elements deep within us. This is in large part due to the characters, many of whom - from Orestes to Clytemnestra to Electra - have become archetypes. As far removed as they and their events seem from today, they are recognizably human with all-too-human flaws and frailties; we feel for their doomed lives because we see ourselves in them. With its string of intrafamily murders and constant high pitch emotions, the melodramatic plot initially seems to have nothing to do with our world; ditto for the gods, curses, and other such factors. However, the underlying themes are still very much with us - are indeed as relevant as ever and likely always will be. We still struggle with issues like family strife, political succession, revenge ethics, crime and punishment, and the free will question. The Oresteia dramatizes these with unforgettable vividness and provokes at least as much thought as ever. These plays are essential reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in drama, history, or ancient Greece - indeed, literature itself.

Robert Fagles' translation is undoubtedly the best for current readers. It is not that prior ones are inaccurate, but inevitable language changes have made them ever less readable; some may think them more stately, but they lack Fagles' flow and readability. Dedicated Greekless readers will of course want to read several, but neophytes should start here, the only version most will ever need.

the trilogy
The three plays that make of the Orestia present a formidable task for the translator: how to provide each with its own unique tonal register and, at the same time, to give them the combined power of a true trilogy.Robert Fagles's translations of Homer presented a similar task with the Odyssey and theIliad, and while the Odyssey carried the day, the overall force of the two proved him a worthy match for the Orestia.And in that he has givenriseto one of the best versions we have

Probably the best translation of the Oresteia
I appreciated the opportunity to read Robert Fagles' translation of The Oresteia.To be sure, it is a difficult text and translation to read, but probably the best.By difficult, I mean dense and complex, just like reading Shakespeare, with all the good and bad connotations.By "best" translation I mean truest representation in English of what the author had in mind when he wrote the play in Greek.

There are many excellent explanatory notes in the back of the book, and to make the back and forth between the text and the notes easier, I spent 30 minutes underlining each phrase in the text that had a note in the back of the book so that I knew when to refer back, as there is no indication that a note exists in the text pages.I read the book with one finger in the notes section and the other in the text.

The idea that this play is the earliest existing play in Western literature, 2500 years old, and yet it is so highly refined and complex, never ceases to amaze me.It is also the only fully preserved trilogy of Greek tragedy.Further, keep in mind that Aeschylus probably wrote 80 or 90 plays, probably of similar quality, yet we only have 7 plays today.Amazing.

A fine collection of Aeschylus' magnum opus.
All drama exists in the shadow of the three great tragedians of Ancient Greece; Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.They wrote scores of plays apiece, but only scattered works of those survive.Of Aeschylus' body of work survives the least: plays numbering a mere seven.However, Aeschylus was cut a bit of a break, because three of those surviving seven form the only complete trilogy of plays from Ancient Greek theatre: the Oresteia (Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex", "Oedipus at Colonus", and "Antigone" are often grouped together as the "Theban Plays", but they are not a proper trilogy, which, in Greek theatre, was three interlinked plays performed together in one festival, alongside a fourth satyr play; the satyr play that accompanied the Oresteia has been lost.

The scene is the aftermath of the Trojan War, where at least 50% of all Greek mythology seems to have its roots; the victorious Agammemnon returns home, taking with him the despoiled Trojan Princess Cassandra, cursed by Apollo to forever speak truth and never be believed.The war is over, but the echoes persist; indeed, the tragedy has its beginnings in the war's beginning, when Agammemnon, in order to facilitate the armada's crossing of the Aegean, sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia.His wife Clytemnestra, understandably, resents this; perhaps less understandably, she has been unfaithful to her husband in his long absence, and, together with her new lover Aegisthus, plots to kill her husband, as well as poor Cassandra.The repercussions of this redound through the next two plays, "The Libation Bearers" and "The Eumenides", as Agammemnon and Clytemnestra's son Orestes, together with his sister Electra, must decide how to avenge their father's murder.Orestes is in a Catch-22, having to reconcile contradictory demands of divine justice:avenging his father means murdering his mother, a crime to the Eumenides, while not avenging his father will offend Apollo.

When looking at Greek drama from a modern perspective, the aspect that many people find the most challenging is the use of Choruses.The first play, "Agammemnon", makes the heaviest use of the Chorus, and I consider it the weakest of the three (by virtue of being the first, it also has a lot of setup).The following "The Libation Bearers" and "The Eumenides" are stronger, with more limited Choruses, and, since the crux of the latter, especially, are debates with dialogue, there is no sense that important actions are occurring offscreen (which was a major trope in Greek drama).These types of stories remain an acquired taste, but they are very enjoyable to those who get used to them.Aeschylus here uses the whole trilogy, and particularly the final play, to dramatize the development of current ideas concerning justice; explanations are given here for the existence of the twelve-man jury, for example.

While I consider Sophocles to be the greatest of the three tragedians, Aeschylus' magnum opus is well worth the time of fans of classical drama and mythology. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Difficult, but readable
I often find that Greek plays are difficult to read.But I think the focal point of the play was whether one bad action justified another bad action. Do two wrongs make a right? At least the translations helped some with clarifications. ... Read more

Product Description
Aeschylus I: Oresteia, which includes Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by legendary Greek playwright Aeschylus. It is widely considered to be among the top Greek tragedies of all time. This great trilogy will surely attract a whole new generation of Aeschylus readers. For many, The Oresteia is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Aeschylus is highly recommended. Published by Classic Books America and beautifully produced, Aeschylus I: Oresteia, which includes Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone's personal library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Oresteia
The book came in a VERY timely manner, so I was very pleased. Only issue I had- almost the entire book was hi-lited/underlined. Usually I buy used books just for other people's writing in them ( I like to see other's comments or ideas) but this was just underlining and hi-liting, and what's the point of doing that if you underline/hilite the entire book? But anyways, I was very happy with this purchase. :D

Classic Play, Somewhat Dated Translation
There is no denying The Oresteia's greatness and profound importance; it is a foundational text not only in drama but in literature itself and remains a clear masterpiece after nearly 2,500 years. As the earliest known dramatist whose work survives, Aeschylus' influence is impossible to exaggerate, and this, the first extant Greek dramatic trilogy, is his greatest known achievement. The story itself is enough to captivate after all this time; the profound tragedy still stirs elements deep within us. This is in large part due to the characters, many of whom - from Orestes to Clytemnestra to Electra - have become archetypes. As far removed as they and their events seem from today, they are recognizably human with all-too-human flaws and frailties; we feel for their doomed lives because we see ourselves in them. With its string of intrafamily murders and constant high pitch emotions, the melodramatic plot initially seems to have nothing to do with our world; ditto for the gods, curses, and other such factors. However, the underlying themes are still very much with us - are indeed as relevant as ever and likely always will be. We still struggle with issues like family strife, political succession, revenge ethics, crime and punishment, and the free will question. The Oresteia dramatizes these with unforgettable vividness and provokes at least as much thought as ever. These plays are essential reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in drama, history, or ancient Greece - indeed, literature itself.

The real question is what translation to get. This Lattimore version was revolutionary in its day and long held the top spot, but time has not been kind to the half-century old edition. It still has its champions, but Robert Fagles' translation is undoubtedly the best for current readers. It is not that Lattimore or other prior ones are inaccurate, but inevitable language changes have made them ever less readable; some may think them more stately, but they lack Fagles' flow and readability. Dedicated Greekless readers will of course want to read several, and anyone who can get Lattimore's easily and/or cheaply should by all means do so, but neophytes should ideally start with Fagles, the only version most will ever need.

An excellent edition of the relevant plays of Aeschylus
I found this edition of the more notable of the surviving plays of Aeschylus to be more than adequate, quite good in fact. For a more modern reading of these plays, I would highly recommend this particular edition of Aeschylus, compared to other editions (Penguin) which are available.

Review of Grene/Lattimore Orestia
This Lattimore translation of the Orestia is unarguably well-written. The introduction provided in this book is thorough and very enlightening, both about Greek drama in general and Aeschlyus with his Orestia in particular. The writing captures so many metaphors and turns of phrase, and the introduction highlights thematic elements to make reading more enjoyable.

There are a few downsides to this and the Lattimore/Grene collection in general. Firstly, the authors give neither footnotes nor endnotes. Their introductions are well-rounded, but it is always helpful to add context to the many mythical references made within the plays. Readers should be ready to recall all the theological duties of the divine characters, as well as the contents of basic Greek mythology.

The other downside is that this is a collection of many authors. David Grene and Richard Lattimore are responsible for only some of the translations. I cannot speak at this time to the quality of the other writers, but a review of their work will be present in upcoming reviews.

bad translation
Lattimore, in his inept poetic exuberance, often loses the sense of a line and confuses the reader.Aeschylus is so powerful he can't be diminished entirely, but where is the modern translation we need?Lattimore published this in 1953, and says in his introduction that he changed little from a 1926 translation.Does anyone know of a better, more recent translation? ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Prometheus Bound - incredible
This was worth it for me for Prometheus Bound alone. Every so often I read
something that hits a nerve and opens up a new insight.
It has joined my list of unforgettable stories. (It's a short list, probably because my memory is not so great.)
I have never read any other translations but I can't see how it would be better.

The other three stories i found were fairly good reads. Too bad so many stories by Aeschylus were lost to history. I wonder what we are missing.

Review of Grene and Lattimore's 'Aeschylus II'
This volume carries many of the same virtues and pitfalls as the other Grene/Lattimore collections. For more information, please see my review of 'Aeschylus I.' To speak directly to this volume, I can guarantee that each play is produced in straightforward English. The entire collection is a pleasure to read.

This is NOT Slavitt
I just wanted to point out that all these reviews refer to the wrong translation.This is NOT the Slavitt translation!
I haven't read this one but, having read Lattimore's translations of the Oresteia I would guess they were quite good.

Don't miss this book!
Ancient Greece is a topic that once bored me, but after I read this book, I suddenly became interested in the Ancient World and the great many achievements of the Greeks. I know many people may not read books on Ancient topics, but this one is definately not one to pass by ... Read more

Product Description
The mighty Xerxes from Darius sprung, The stream of whose rich blood flows in our veins, Leads against Greece; whether his arrowy shower Shot from the strong-braced bow, or the huge spear High brandish'd, in the deathful field prevails. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The worst play to study
After volunteering to look at this play for my Classics degree, I started out with high hopes.But after opening it and dicovering how boring it was, my hopes faltered.I still gave it a go though and a couple of hours later when I finally got ready to start writing whether it was actually good enough as a play, my problems started.Bearing in mind that it was written 2500 years ago, i was intrigued that a play could last for so long.But honestly, thats where my interest stopped.It's lenghthy and dull, and although I know that it is a very historical and precise play, I just couldn't follow it.If you want bedtime reading that will send you to sleep, this is the one, sorry.

A unique Greek tragedy by Aeschylus about a historical event
"The Persians" is a minor work in the extant plays of Aeschylus, but has considerable historical if not dramatic significance. The play is the second and only remaining tragedy from a lost tetralogy that is based on the historical events of the Persians Wars. The play was performed in 472 B.C., eight years after the defeat of the invaders at the Battle of Salamis. The speech by the Messenger is assumed to be a fairly accurate description of the battle, but the focus of the play is on the downfall of the Persian Empire because of the folly of Xerxes. After the ghost of Darius, father of Xerxes and the leader of the first Persian invasion that was defeated at the Battle of Marathon laments the ruin of the great empire he had ruled, Xerxes offers similar histrionics concerning the destruction of his fleet.

The play is interesting because Aeschylus presents Xerxes, a foreign invader, as exhibiting the same sort of hubris that afflicts the greatest of mythological heroes in these Greek tragedies. Laud and honor is given the Athenians for defeating the Persians in battle, but Aeschylus surprisingly provides a look at the Persian king's culpability in the downfall of his empire. There is a reference in the play to the tradition that Xerxes was descended from Perseus (for whom the Persian race was therefore named), but even so it seems quite odd to turn him into a traditional Greek tragic hero. Aeschylus had fought the Persians at the Battles of Marathon and Salamis, which certainly lends authenticity to his description of events.

Aeschylus won the festival of Dionysus in 472 B.C. with the tetralogy of "Phineus," "The Persians," "Glaucus of Potniae," and the satyr play "Prometheus the Fire-Kindler." Phineas was the king who became the victim of the Harpies, while this particular Glaucus was the son of Sisyphus and the father of Bellerophon who was torn to pieces by his own mares. Consequently, this particular tetralogy clearly has the theme of kings brought down by their own folly. But even within that context, the fact that Aeschylus would write of a historical rather than legendary figure, not to mention a Persian rather than a Greek, remains more than a minor historical curiosity.

The tragedy of a proud people.
"Persians" deals with a people trying to exceed mortal limits. The king of persia blinds his people into believing they can accomplish deeds that exceed the laws of the divine and it's natural order. The kinginvades Greece despite bad omens. The people in Persia are told they aredefeated by a messenger and mourn in mad disbelief. Searching for answersthey summon the spirit of a once great king who cannot undo what has nowbeen done. Persia's once proud army, security, and young sons are perished.This translation is excellent.The ending of the play through subjectmatter is sad enough, but the helpless lines delivered by King Xerxes andthe chorus through dialogue toward each other at the end of the play isdevastating.

The first play based on recent history.
This is generally not considered one of the better plays of Aeschylus; yet, I did enjoy it, even though there is very little action. Perhaps it is because it dealt with a subject of contemporary interest to its originalaudience. In fact, it is the oldest surviving play based on an event ofrecent history. The play was first produced in 472 B. C., only eight yearsafter the Battle of Salamis. The speech by the Messenger in the play is theearliest known historical account of that battle. The play takes place inthe Persian court and simply presents the arrival of a messenger carryingthe news of Persia's defeat and is followed by the entry of a disgracedXerxes. This play also contains the earliest known appearance by a ghost ina drama. ... Read more

Product Description

Aeschylus (ca. 525–456 BCE), the dramatist who made Athenian tragedy one of the world’s great art forms, witnessed the establishment of democracy at Athens and fought against the Persians at Marathon. He won the tragic prize at the City Dionysia thirteen times between ca. 499 and 458, and in his later years was probably victorious almost every time he put on a production, though Sophocles beat him at least once.

Of his total of about eighty plays, seven survive complete. The second volume contains the complete Oresteia trilogy, comprising Agamemnon, Libation-Bearers, and Eumenides, presenting the murder of Agamemnon by his wife, the revenge taken by their son Orestes, the pursuit of Orestes by his mother’s avenging Furies, his trial and acquittal at Athens, Athena’s pacification of the Furies, and the blessings they both invoke upon the Athenian people.

Product Description
Aeschylus, the earliest of the great Attic tragedians, presented his Oresteia at Athens' City Dionysia festival in 458 BCE. Born in the last quarter of the sixth century, Aeschylus had fought with the victorious Greeks in one and probably both of the Persian Wars (190 and 480-79). He died around 456 at about seventy years of age in Gela, Sicily. His epitaph records his role as a soldier at Marathon, not his artistic achievements, but these were many. The author of more than seventy plays, he won his first of thirteen tragic victories in 484. Of these plays, only seven remain. The Oresteia is Aeschylus' only complete surviving trilogy; the satyr play with which it was first performed, Proteus, is lost. Peter Meineck has aimed to translate the Oresteia for the modern stage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Civic Justice . . . Male and Female
A couple of lines of interpretation, neither of them original.

1. The establishment of civic justice. Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Orestes are caught in a spiral of blood revenge, with no apparent end, as the Furies demand further revenge for Orestes' killing of Clytemnestra. Athena steps in, not to judge for herself, but to institute a jury of citizens, with her own vote providing the tie-breaker. The Furies are afterwards given a new role, as Eumenides, but no longer propel the cycle of vengeance.

The other line is the role of female and male. The Furies defend blood relationships. It is the Furies who demand vengeance for Clytemnestra's death and for Agamemnon's sacrifice of Iphegenia (both murders of blood kin by blood kin), but it is Apollo who urges Orestes to vengeance for the death of Agamemnon (a murder of husband by wife -- a civil rather than a blood relationship). The Furies, who are born fatherless and live as virgins, and so are unrelated to the male, are removed from the new institution of civil justice. Athena, although female, was born motherless (sprung from the head of Zeus), and she presides over the establishment of civil justice. Orestes is freed, despite killing his mother, over the objections of the Furies.

Athena presents an especially modern argument of sorts to the Furies (lines 420 to 435), saying, "There are 2 sides to the story." And the turning point seems to be what she says is in 430 -- "So you would rather be called just than act justly?" From then on, the Furies say they will accept Athena's wisdom.

The "called just" vs. "act justly" contrast sounds very modern, in the context. In justice as vengeance, the distinction doesn't have the same significance. The Furies seem from then on swept along in a much more modern perspective, bowing to the more modern sense of civic justice.

The Great Greeks
The Oresteia is one of the worlds greatest dramatic works.This particular translation is one of the best for academic purposes.An A+++ on any Literary students must have list!

I love this Orestia!
Again, I compared many different Orestia's and fell in love with this one on Hackett by Meineick.

It reads beautifully and easily and the drama and intensity is unmatched.You also get a believable sense of the characters, and the setting in this one.

It is in my opinion the best modern version that can be most easily performable with no archai-sisms in the language.

I always go with Hackett now that I've found some really excellent translations!

Highly recommended.

The play within the Translation
I worked on the production of this translation at The University of South Carolina in 1998.I designed the costumes and masks.Before I began the design process, I read other translations of the script.Peter'stranslation was done with attention to what the characters were saying, notjust the literal dictionary definition of the Ancient Greek.The pacingand flow of the play is great and I recommend it to anyone who thinks thatAncient Greek plays are dull and better left alone. ... Read more

Product Description

Aeschylus (ca. 525–456 BCE), the dramatist who made Athenian tragedy one of the world’s great art forms, witnessed the establishment of democracy at Athens and fought against the Persians at Marathon. He won the tragic prize at the City Dionysia thirteen times between ca. 499 and 458, and in his later years was probably victorious almost every time he put on a production, though Sophocles beat him at least once.

Of his total of about eighty plays, seven survive complete. The first volume of this new Loeb Classical Library edition offers fresh texts and translations by Alan H. Sommerstein of Persians, the only surviving Greek historical drama; Seven against Thebes, from a trilogy on the conflict between Oedipus’ sons; Suppliants, on the successful appeal by the daughters of Danaus to the king and people of Argos for protection against a forced marriage; and Prometheus Bound (of disputed authenticity), on the terrible punishment of Prometheus for giving fire to humans in defiance of Zeus.

Customer Reviews (1)

History And Literature
How does one approach reviewing Aeschylus or any of the classics?One is dealing with a work which is thousands of years old and in and of itself a piece of history.Add to that problem that for most of us, there is no choice but to read translations of the work, rather than the original.In addition, there are only a few works remaining from only three sources (unless the authorship has been incorrectly given), so one is left to compare Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, and given that Aeschylus was writing much earlier than the others the comparison would be rather difficult given the changes that Aeschylus made to Greek Theatre.What one can discuss is how readable the translations are, and the supporting material.

Aeschylus I, number 145 in the Loeb Classical Library contains four of Aeschylus' plays:"Persians", "Seven Against Thebes", "Suppliants", and "Prometheus Bound".The edition I have read is the 2008 publication which was edited and translated by Alan H. Sommerstein.In the preface, Mr. Sommerstein discusses the state of the Aeschylus volumes prior to this publication and what he attempts to accomplish with this new translation and publication of the plays.This is followed by a superb introduction which discusses Aeschylus, his life, his works, Greek Theatre, and what happened to the plays in history to bring them to the point they are now at.This is followed by the standard Bibliography, Sigla, and Abbreviations which one expects from a Loeb edition, and that brings us to the plays themselves.

Each of the plays is preceded by a section detailing the specifics of the play.When it was believed to be first performed, whether it won the Dionysia competition, what parts of the play may be suspect, what is believed to be the other plays in the production and what is known about those plays.The footnotes in the translations of the plays themselves are also quite extensive, as information about the decisions made in the translation are covered as well as more information to better help understand any unspoken meanings that Aeschylus may have been trying to convey. The translations themselves are excellent.I have read a few translations of some of these plays, and Mr. Sommerstein has done an outstanding job of helping the reader understand the play.

"Persians" opens with the council of Susa (i.e. the chorus) unsure of the fate of their army and concerned because so many men went to war so far away.They are joined by the Queen Mother, Atossa who is also concerned, because of a dream she had.News of the disaster arrives by messenger, and all are distraught.Atossa asks the chorus to summon the ghost of Darius, who at first is completely unaware of what has occurred, and then curses the hubris of his son Xerxes who led his vast army to this disaster, and then prophesizes the defeat at Plataea.Eventually Xerxes himself arrives in rags and laments the defeat and what it means to Persia.

"Seven Against Thebes" begins after Thebes has been under siege for a time, and on a day when it has been prophesized (by Teiresias) that the city will be assaulted on that very day.A scout arrives and gives Eteocles a description of what has happened outside the city and then leaves to gather more information.Eteocles comments on what he has been told and leaves to oversee the defenses.The Theben maidens arrive (i.e. The Chorus) and describe the fear and terror felt inside the city.Eteocles returns and tries to shame the women into being silent and thus not spread any more fear, they agree and Eteocles once again leaves to inspect the defenses.The Chorus continues to comment until the scout returns and Eteocles rushes back to talk to him. The scout describes each of the seven captains who are assaulting the seven gates, finishing with PolyneicesEteocles discusses how each will be dealt with, and when he learns that is brother is at the seventh gate, he decides to go there to face his brother himself.The Chorus is left alone as both the scout and Eteocles have left the stage.The scout returns and we learn that Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other.The ending is a bit uncertain as it appears that Atigone and Ismene were added to the play for a later production.However, there is a dispute over what to do with the bodies of the two brothers.

"Suppliants" is about the Danaids who are fleeing a forced marriage and make a plea to King Pelasgus of Argos to protect them.He lets the Argive people make the decision, which is to help the Danaids.An Egyptian herald arrives to try to force the Danaids to return for the marriage, but King Pelasgus threatens the herald and pushes the Danaids to go within the walls of Argos for protection.For me, this was the most difficult play to follow, there was not much in the way of action, and significant sections of it are missing or were added in which makes it all the more difficult.

"Prometheus Bound" is the last of the plays in this volume, and along with "Persians" is the most enjoyable one to read.Some question whether Aeschylus actually wrote the play, but regardless it is an interesting one.The play opens with Prometheus being escorted to the wrong to which he will be bound by Power (Kratos), Violence (Bia), and Hephaestus, the smith.Violence never utters a word, nor does Prometheus himself during this initial period, but Power mocks Prometheus and Hephaestus is empathetic to Prometheus's position.Power pushes Hephaestus until the job is done, and then the three leave Prometheus alone.For the remainder of the play Prometheus is chained to the rock, lamenting his position, and talking to those who come to see him, such as the daughters of Oceanus (Chorus), Oceanus, Io, and at the end Hermes.The play pits the tyranny of Zeus against Prometheus and his (Prometheus's) love for man.

This is an excellent edition of the Loeb library, and the new translations of Aeschylus are quite good.One could argue that any edition of classic works deserves five stars, but in this case it is really earned.
... Read more

Product Description
The Oresteia is the only trilogy of tragedy plays to survive from Ancient Greece. Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides have established the enduring themes of Greek tragedy--the inexorable nature of Fate, the relationship between justice, revenge, and religion. In this family history, Fate and the gods decree that each generation will repeat the crimes and endure the suffering of their forebears. When Agamemnon is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, their son Orestes must avenge his father's death. Only Orestes' appeal to the goddess Athena saves him from his mother's Furies, breaking the bloody chain; together gods and humans inaugurate a way of just conduct that will ensure stable families and a strong community.

The Oresteia is majestic as theater and as literature, and this new translation seeks to preserve both these qualities. The introduction and notes emphasize the relationship between the scenes, ideas, and language that distinguishes this unique work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Monumental Edition
This is a compelling new edition of the Oresteia. It rivals all existing Oresteia's and perhaps comes closest to Lattimore's version in accuracy and completeness of text.It is my favorite Oresteian Trilogy alongside Peter Meineck's version.

Christopher Collard preserves the intricacy of Aeschylus's language while keeping the drama moving naturally.He does not force poetry or ideas into Aeschylus nor does he subtract, edit or delete words from the text (as often is done and can be seen in Fagels's and Vellacott's translations).The poetry comes out magically by itself.

How Collard wins over Lattimore's version though is through the translation.The realism of the drama, the sentences structures, and the speeches all form naturally and normally.In Lattimore, the speeches and the drama becomes congested, contricted and (unnecessarily) complicated through how he structures the wording and poetry of Aeschylus's text.Collard does not use the tired and old fashion English like Lattimore, nor does he update the idom by using modern American English or slang.You can't really pinpoint which language style he's using, but indeed it is beautiful, readible and contemporary English.It's like he has become a transparent mouthpiece for Aeschylus and not mask of his own creation.

There are also some very intriguing and very interesting touches Collard does within the plays.Throughout are descriptive italic markings, brackets and hyphens, indicating detailed stage directions and emotive expressions.He freely uses lyric, prose, and verse in his translation as Aeschylus does in various settings and scenarios.

His is the most scholarly version as it incorporates the most up-to-date findings and research into Aeschylus and the Oresteia.From original to copied manuscripts, he compared many ancient and modern editions of the Oresteia and so some of his version includes subtle changes and slight differences when compared to other translations.He informs you of missing lines and includes passages that appear as fragments in the originals, which have been glossed over or not noticed by other translators.

His explanatory notes and introduction are immensely extensive.They include so much research and attention to detail that one wonders how one man could know so much about Aeschylus and the Oresteia!

The Contents not only have 4 incredible essays on Aeschylus and the Oresteia, but also include summaries of the plots, text & translation notes, a massive bibliography, a chronology of Aeschylus' life, family trees, and even a map of ancient Greece!

I believe it is safe to say that Christopher Collard is now the leading interpreter of Aeschylus, and a milestone in the history of Aeschylean translation and scholarship.

Readable and Persuasive
This translation of Aeschylus' "Oresteia" kept me reading from beginning to end. I found Alan Shapiro's rendition of "Agamemnon" with its opaque vocabulary and imagery compelling, especially the hypnotic rhythms and repetitions of the long parodos and the second choral ode. He also has captured the incantatory vocabulary and imagery of Clytemnestra's "estin thalassa" speech: "There is a sea--who will drain it dry?" I have only one tiny criticism: I do wish he had preserved Aeschylus' word order at the end of "Agamemnon", " kai su"--"I and you" [instead of "you and I will rule the house"], which to me demonstrates that the playwright is depicting Clytemnestra--with her high hopes and heart that manages like a man--as the female usurper who will continue to wield power over Aegisthus.

Nevertheless, I am using this book in the classroom, and I recommend it highly.

Unpoetic and ungrammatical
Unfortunately, the ineptness of Alan Shapiro's own verse carries over into this translation.Plus we get comma splices (that often create unintentional ambiguities), mixed metaphors (one howler is the old men of the Chorus who are compared to a withered leaf that has 3 legs), and language that sacrifices both clarity and poetic texture. What Fagles translates as "we must suffer into truth," Shapiro translates "suffering is our teacher." Blah!

The Oresteia as a poem in English
The Shapiro/Burian translation of The Oresteia, one of the seminal texts of Western Civilization, combines scholarly exactitude with poetic intensity. Whereas other renderings seem at best like successful translations from one language to another, this one comes across as a carrying over of one poetry into another. This ought to be the standard version of this crucial trilogy for a long time to come. ... Read more

Product Description
A new translation of four of Aeschylus's finest works.

Illuminating the tragic grandeur for which Aeschylus has been celebrated, this fresh translation of The Persians and Other Plays shows how Aeschylus brought epic sweep to the drama of classical Athens, raising it to the status of high art. The Persians, the only Greek tragedy to record events from recent Athenian history, depicts the final defeat of Persia in the battle of Salamis through the eyes of the Persian court. In Prometheus Bound, the defiant Titan Prometheus is punished by Zeus for daring to improve the state of servitude in which mankind is kept. Seven Against Thebes shows the inexorable downfall of the last members of the cursed family of Oedipus, while The Suppliants relates the pursuit of the fifty daughters of Danaus by the fifty sons of Aegyptus, and their final rescue by a heroic king.

... Read more

Product Description
This edition includes Persae, Septem contra Thebas, Supplices, Agamemnon, Choephoroe, Emenides, and Prometheus Vinctus. ... Read more

Product Description
Aeschylus is a towering figure in western literature, the first of the great Greek playwrights, a dramatist whose work still has the power to inspire and terrify readers and theatre-goers alike. The four plays in this volume demonstrate the full range and depth of Aeschylus's genius. Persians is the only surviving tragedy to draw on contemporary history, the Greeks' extraordinary victory over Persia in 480 BC. In Seven Against Thebes, a royal family is cursed with self-destruction, in a remorseless tragedy that anticipates the grandeur of the later Oresteia. Suppliants portrays the wretched plight of the daughters of Danaus, fleeing from enforced marriage. And in the hugely influential Prometheus Bound, Prometheus is relentlessly persecuted by Zeus for benefitting mankind in defiance of the god. Christopher Collard's highly readable new translation is accompanied by an introduction that sets the plays in their original context; by comprehensive explanatory notes on the language, structure, and content of the plays, and by an up-to-date bibliography, five maps, and an index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good job
Though I'm no expert in ancient Greek literature, I'd have to say that Collard's translation of the 4 non-Oresteia plays of Aeschylus are as readable as it gets while still keeping a sense of majesty about these plays.The plays themselves are actually quite short, approximately 30 pages each, which surprised me, though they are still quite dense and difficult to read through.Lavish sets and costumes and acting would doubtlessly make them easier to fully appreciate, as Aeschylus intended when he wrote them.

I had just done a CD lecture series on Greek Tragedy by The Great Courses Company that was pretty good, so I didn't read the extensive introduction thoroughly, but from what I scanned over, the intro seemed great, providing much of the needed background.

There were also quite extensive footnotes on the text that I did not find very helpful, perhaps because they were bunched together at the end of the text instead of with the text.Reading them all as they came up would have been too much of a distraction. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / General; ... Read more

Product Description
Often recognized as the father of tragedy, this collection of plays by the ancient Greek soldier and playwright Aeschylus is a testament to his skill and enduring legacy in the history of theatre. In "Suppliant Maidens," the fifty daughters of Danaus flee from marriages to the fifty sons of their uncle, showing an obedience to their father that has tragic consequences. "The Persians" is thought to be the oldest surviving play still in existence today, and is additionally unique because it focuses on the enormous defeat of the Persian King Xerxes rather than a myth distant even to the ancient Greeks. The gods are punishing the hubris of the Persians to the point at which even the Greeks feel some sympathy for them. In "The Seven Against Thebes," the battle for the throne of Thebes upon the banishment of Oedipus pits two brothers against each other in a fatal bout of single combat. Finally, "Prometheus Bound" explores the myth of a Titan and his punishment from Zeus for giving fire and knowledge to mankind. Though all of the plays differ widely in plot, the enduring quality of the characters and dialogue within these dramas are a testament to the considerable skill of Aeschylus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Aeschylus-Four Plays
I have never read Aeschylus before.I was familiar with some of the basics of Greek mythology and I've read some of Homer and Sophocles but that was about it.I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed these plays, with the exception of The Suppliants, which I thought was too slow and a bit boring. I liked Vellacott's translation.I can't comment on the accuracy of it, but I do think he did a good job bringing the plays to life.Once I got into the plays themselves, I could sense a rhythm for each one and made it pretty easy and fun to read. His introduction is short-a brief note about the playwright and then some background information on the plays themselves-a brief synopsis and the main themes of the plays.He doesn't overwhelm you with background information in the introduction. There are a few pages of footnotes.They weren't overly footnoted, which I liked because they didn't break the flow of the dialog.

If you have no knowledge of Greek mythology, I'd suggest some brief background reading before diving into the plays to familiarize yourself with some of the main players in the plays.Worth checking out for sure.

Powerful Renditions
Vellacott's epitomizes for me the highest dramatic and poetic translator of Aeschylus and Euripides.His classic versions of Prometheus Bound, Seven Against Thebes, The Suppliants and The Persians have captivated millions since they were published almost 60 years ago.

They speak an idiom that everyone can relate to and understand, he is true to Aeschylus words and gives the English language a powerful substitute...almost as if they were originally written in English!

Obviously the highlight of the collection here is Prometheus Bound.I have never read such a moving and absorbing rendition than Vellacott's!

Some of the highest wisdom I know are contained in these plays, which like Vellacott will remain for a long time still.

Good for Wading into Greek Plays
A decent read. Prometheus Bound is one of the classics of Western Literature - and Vellacott's commentaries are pretty helpful in understanding the history and banckground of the plays, the life of Aeschylus, and pretty good translator notes.If Greek plays are your cup of tea, this book is a decent and economical choice.

Very Interesting
Of dozens of plays written by Aeschylus, only 7 survive.Three comprise the great Oresteia and the other 4 are brought together in this anthology.Most are the surviving members of trilogies.All are at least interesting and contain much powerful language.None have the impact of the Oresteia, though its impossible to know what impression they would make if read or performed with the missing components of the trilogies.The Persians, written not long after the catastrophic Persian defeat at Salamis, is a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the Persian court learning of the defeat.Seven against Thebes, part of Aeschylus' rendering of the Oedipus myth, shows an interesting aspect of the story with language recalling Homeric epics.The somewhat static Suppliants, which seems to have been essentially a prologue with its lost successors in a trilogy, is the least interesting.Prometheus Bound is the most interesting, largely because of the powerful and sympathetic figure of Prometheus.Aeschylus' Prometheus is no stick figure of virtue; arrogant, even sarcastic in his defiance of the Olympian Gods, he is a compelling champion of humanity.Somewhat like the Oresteia, a major theme of Prometheus Bound and presumably the whole trilogy is the conflict of reason and power.

I think these are required
Ok, missed these in college, but I think you have to read these, and quite frankly, they're a little better with some age on you.Prometheus Bound is more interesting after you have had a chance to watch people (perhaps yourself) let their ego run away with them and get them in horrible trouble.Otherwise, at 18-22 Prometheus is an unmittigated hero, and that's less interesting.As a bonus, Prometheus was used as a model for Milton's Satan, and that Satan is pretty much the coolest Devil.If the Fonz had a big brother, wouldn't you want to meet him? Fantastic lines in this one, and the translation is excellent."Do you think I quake and cower before these upstart gods?"Use it in your next salary negotiation.

The Suppliants is kind of a waste of time.It's obviously the introduction to the action, and not much to reflect on unless you know a woman in an unhappy marriage, and then you can supply them with the line, "I would rather meet my fate in a drawn noose/ Than give my flesh to a husband I abhor;/ Sooner let Death possess me!"That'll add zazz to any domestic argument.

Seven Against Thebes is fantastic and serves as the end to the Oedipus trilogy if you want to read it that way.Lots of great slams on the boastful and praise to the quiet effective types.It's required reading.

The Persians is great reading right now if you're not thrilled with the way America is headed under current leadership.It's about the most powerful empire in the world shattering its massive army in a war of folly.Superior wealth and technology (bridge of boats across the ocean) are squandered in the wastelands.It's from the point of view of the losers, and I can't help but think it's cautionary to the Greeks rather than celebratory.America should read it that way as well.It's eerily relevant.I read this passage this morning and it gave me the creeps:

(Mother of Xerxes's premonition concerning the fall of the Persian empire)

I saw an eagle fly for refuge to Apollo's hearth.I watched, speechless with terror; then a falcon came, and swooped with rushing wings, and with his talons clawed the eagle's head; it, unresisting, cowered there, offering itself to wounds.

Not good for us, not good at all.In any case, just about every page has some piece of wisdom on it, and the translation here puts the the thought with the perfect words.If you're enjoying Shakespeare or KJV right now but want a different flavor, give Aeschylus a shot.He has a strong grasp on the mind of the king and the burden of leadership, more so than WS.There's also a sophisticated view of how real democracy lends strength to a society, in a way that resonates with an adult brain that has become jaded on jingoism. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the conviction that only translators who write poetry themselves can properly re-create the celebrated and timeless tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the Greek Tragedy in New Translations series offers new translations that go beyond the literal meaning of the Greek in order to evoke the poetry of the originals.

The volume brings together four major works by one of the great classical dramatists: Prometheus Bound, translated by James Scully and C. John Herrington, a haunting depiction of the most famous of Olympian punishments; The Suppliants, translated by Peter Burian, an extraordinary drama of flight and rescue arising from women's resistance to marriage; Persians, translated by Janet Lembke and C. John Herington, a masterful telling of the Persian Wars from the view of the defeated; and Seven Against Thebes, translated by Anthony Hecht and Helen Bacon, a richly symbolic play about the feuding sons of Oedipus. These four tragedies were originally available as single volumes. This new volume retains the informative introductions and explanatory notes of the original editions and adds a single combined glossary and Greek line numbers. ... Read more

Product Description
Aeschylus' Persae, first produced in 472 BC, is the oldest surviving Greek tragedy. It is also the only extant Greek tragedy that deals, not with a mythological subject, but with an event of recent history, the Greek defeat of the Persians at Salamis in 480 BC. Unlike Aeschylus' other surviving plays, it is apparently not part of a connected trilogy. In this new edition A. F. Garvie encourages the reader to assess the Persae on its own terms as a drama. It is not a patriotic celebration, or a play with a political manifesto, but a genuine tragedy, which, far from presenting a simple moral of hybris punished by the gods, poses questions concerning human suffering to which there are no easy answers. In his Introduction Garvie defends the play's structure against its critics, and considers its style, the possibility of thematic links between it and the other plays presented by Aeschylus on the same occasion, its staging, and the state of the transmitted text. The Commentary develops in greater detail some of the conclusions of the Introduction. ... Read more

Product Description
In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, his descendants are known as Atreidai or Atreidae.

The House of Atreus begins with Tantalus. Tantalus initially held the favor of the gods but decided to cook his own son Pelops and feed him to the gods as a test of their omniscience. Most of the gods, as they sat down to dinner with Tantalus, immediately understood what had happened, because they knew the nature of the meat they were served, were appalled and did not partake. Nevertheless, Demeter, who was distracted due to the abduction by Hades of her daughter Persephone, obliviously ate Pelops' shoulder. The gods threw Tantalus into the underworld, where he spends eternity standing up to his chin in a pool of water, which drains whenever he attempts to slake his thirst. Above him are low-hanging fruit that lift just out of reach when he tries to grab it. Thus is derived the word "tantalize". The gods brought Pelops back to life, replacing the bone in his shoulder with a bit of ivory, thus marking the family forever afterwards.

Title: The House of Atreus

Author: AEschylus



NINEGREEKDRAMAS

BY AESCHYLUS, SOPHOCLES, EURIPIDES
AND ARISTOPHANES



TRANSLATIONS BY E.D.A. MORSHEAD
E.H. PLUMPTRE, GILBERT MURRAY
AND B.B. ROGERS



WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES



THE HOUSE OF ATREUS. (Aeschylus)

AGAMEMNON

THE LIBATION-BEARERS

THE FURIES

TRANSLATED BY E.D.A. MORSHEAD

_INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Of the life of Aeschylus, the first of the three great masters of
Greek tragedy, only a very meager outline has come down to us. He was
born at Eleusis, near Athens, B. C. 525, the son of Euphorion. Before
he was twenty-five he began to compete for the tragic prize, but did
not win a victory for twelve years. He spent two periods of years in
Sicily, where he died in 456, killed, it is said, by a tortoise which
an eagle dropped on his head. Though a professional writer, he did his
share of fighting for his country, and is reported to have taken part
in the battles of Marathon, Salamis, and Plataea.

Of the seventy or eighty plays which he is said to have written, only
seven survive: "The Persians," dealing with the defeat of Xerxes at
Salamis; "The Seven against Thebes," part of a tetralogy on the legend
of Thebes; "The Suppliants," on the daughters of Danaues; "Prometheus
Bound," part of a trilogy, of which the first part was probably
"Prometheus, the Fire-bringer," and the last, "Prometheus Unbound";
and the "Oresteia," the only example of a complete Greek tragic
trilogy which has come down to us, consisting of "Agamemnon,"
"Choephorae" (The Libation-Bearers), and the "Eumenides" (Furies).

The importance of Aeschylus in the development of the drama is
immense. Before him tragedy had consisted of the chorus and one actor;
and by introducing a second actor, expanding the dramatic dialogue
thus made possible, and reducing the lyrical parts, he practically
created Greek tragedy as we understand it. Like other writers of his
time, he acted in his own plays, and trained the chorus in their
dances and songs; and he did much to give impressiveness to the
performances by his development of the accessories of scene and
costume on the stage. Of the four plays here reproduced, "Prometheus
Bound" holds an exceptional place in the literature of the world. (As
conceived by Aeschylus, Prometheus is the champion of man against the
oppression of Zeus; and the argument of the drama has a certain
correspondence to the problem of the Book of Job.) The Oresteian
trilogy on "The House of Atreus" is one of the supreme productions of
all literature. It deals with the two great themes of the retribution
of crime and the inheritance of evil; and here again a parallel
may be found between the assertions of the justice of God by
Aeschylus and by the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the conviction that only translators who write poetry themselves can properly re-create the celebrated and timeless tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, the Greek Tragedy in New Translations series offers new translations that go beyond the literal meaning of the Greek in order to evoke the poetry of the originals.

Aeschylus' Oresteia, the only ancient tragic trilogy to survive, is one of the great foundational texts of Western culture. It begins with Agamemnon, which describes Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War and his murder at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, continues with her murder by their son Orestes in Libation Bearers, and concludes with Orestes' acquittal at a court founded by Athena in Eumenides. The trilogy thus traces the evolution of justice in human society from blood vengeance to the rule of law, Aeschylus' contribution to a Greek legend steeped in murder, adultery, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and endless intrigue. This new translation is faithful to the strangeness of the original Greek and to its enduring human truth, expressed in language remarkable for poetic intensity, rich metaphorical texture, and a verbal density that modulates at times into powerful simplicity. The translation's precise but complicated rhythms honor the music of the Greek, bringing into unforgettable English the Aeschylean vision of a world fraught with spiritual and political tensions. ... Read more