The Complete Aeschylus - 9780199753635

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 specially commissioned translations that go beyond the literal meaning of the Greek in order to evoke the poetry of the originals. The translations in this series are the result of collaborations between outstanding poets and prominent scholars. Each is provided with full stage directions and accompanied by an informative introduction, extensive commentary, and a glossary of mythical and geographical references.

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. This translation by Alan Shapiro and Peter Burian 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.

Peter Burian is Professor of Classical and Comparative Literatures, and Theater Studies at Duke University.

Alan Shapiro is Professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.