Aeschylus Persae

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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.

0 pages, Hardcover

First published December 28,1903

About the author

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Greek Αισχύλος, Esquilo in Spanish, Eschyle in French, Eschilo in Italian, Эсхил in Russian.

Aeschylus (c. 525/524 BC – c. 456 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is largely based on inferences made from reading his surviving plays. According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in the theatre and allowed conflict among them. Formerly, characters interacted only with the chorus.
Only seven of Aeschylus's estimated 70 to 90 plays have survived. There is a long-standing debate regarding the authorship of one of them, Prometheus Bound, with some scholars arguing that it may be the work of his son Euphorion. Fragments from other plays have survived in quotations, and more continue to be discovered on Egyptian papyri. These fragments often give further insights into Aeschylus' work. He was likely the first dramatist to present plays as a trilogy. His Oresteia is the only extant ancient example. At least one of his plays was influenced by the Persians' second invasion of Greece (480–479 BC). This work, The Persians, is one of very few classical Greek tragedies concerned with contemporary events, and the only one extant. The significance of the war with Persia was so great to Aeschylus and the Greeks that his epitaph commemorates his participation in the Greek victory at Marathon while making no mention of his success as a playwright.

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 46 votes)
5 stars
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46 reviews All reviews
April 1,2025
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In kader van oudercursus "Griekse Tragedie" gelezen.
Niet altijd even gemakkelijk om te lezen, zelfs niet in het Nederlands. En enige kennis van de Oudgriekse geschiedenis is ook wel nodig. Toch spannend genoeg om te lezen. Hoewel ik me afvraag of ik het spontaan zou lezen...
April 1,2025
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Siempre es difícil enfrentarse a un texto de la Grecia Clásica. Varias son sus dificultades: un vocabulario recargado, un estilo lento y una tendencia a los circunloquios alargados en exceso. Eso hace que sean textos que sólo podrán interesar a quienes les guste todo lo relacionado con la antigua Hélade.

En Los persas asistimos a una crónica de la guerra entre griegos y persas de la cual Esquilo, el autor, fue testigo; a través de la figura de Jerjes se nos narran las desventuras de su pueblo, quienes perdieron la guerra frente a unos bravos helenos -cuya épica figura marca el tono político de la obra- y la posterior huida, nefasta y trágica. Con lúgubres lamentos se da testigo de un conflicto que marcó aquellos años en los que nacía la cultura helénica, el teatro, la poesía y las tragedias.

La obra de teatro es la más antigua que se conserva, y podemos notarlo en su estructura: corta y carente de dinamismo espacial, con largas exposiciones de sus personajes -pocos- y un carácter más bien político que no de ocio. Parece más bien una obra destinada a informar antes que a entretener.

Sin duda una obra capital en la historia de la cultura occidental, una semilla de la que surgiría el esplendor griego de los dos siglos posteriores. Por algo Esquilo es considerado el padre de la tragedia griega.
April 1,2025
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Über "Die Perser" habe ich als erstes gelesen, dass es "historisches" Stück ist, keinen mythischen Stoff, sondern reale Kriegsereignisse verarbeitet. Aischylos wäre nicht der größte griechische Tragödiendichter, hätte er dabei nur den kontingenten Verlauf der Geschichte in Versfom gebracht. Mit "Die Perser" führt er uns die Grausamkeit von Schlachten vor Augen, lässt uns die Einsamkeit und Kälte kriegsleerer Städte spüren, erinnert uns an die Zerbrechlichkeit des Schicksalsglücks und warnt uns vor Übermut und Selbstüberschätzung.

Den stärksten Eindruck hatte die Beschwörung Dareios' auf mich: In der tiefsten Verzweiflung rufen das Volk und die Königsmutter nach dem alten König, der als Geist zurückkehrt, als besonnener Regent und erfolgreichem Heerführer Orientierung und Ratschlag gibt. Aischylos erinnert an den Fluch eines allzu guten Herrschers - für das Volk, das sich auf ihn zurückwendet, doch vor allem für das Kind, der diesen übergroßen Schatten zu überspringen sucht und daran scheitern muss. Ist der weise König Vorbote eines großen Unglücks? Für die Perser wird es neue Herrscher geben, aber Xerxes findet nicht einmal bei seiner Mutter Trost.
April 1,2025
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oioi, oioi
ototototoi
Agony, agony
papai papai
Hateful fate

I never thought about it before but i guess the cliche of poetic lamentations does come from somewhere, perhaps from the greek plays like such.
April 1,2025
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Aeschylus wrote over ninety plays, and of the 7 that survive complete today, Persians is one of them. This may not seem like anything particularly noteworthy, any more so than any of his plays having survived, until you take into account its historical importance. Aeschylus was Greek, and fought the Persians at the Battle of Salamis, during the second Persian invasion of Greece (you're probably familiar with the contemporary battle of Thermopile, immortalized so well in Frank Miller's book n  300n). This book, told from the perspective of the vanquished Xerxes, is therefore a firsthand account of that battle, in a roundabout way.—What are the chances that of ninety plays, it would be one of the 7 that survive? My wife points out that its historical importance makes it a likely candidate for preservation. True enough, but still—wow.

I should probably muster up five stars for the sucker, but my Grecian (read: Western) sympathies are so deeply ingrained that I couldn't get involved in the Persians' troubles. Still essential reading, though. This edition is the one to go for, unless you're interested in reading the original Greek, in which case, go for the Loeb Classical Library  translation.
April 1,2025
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Primera incursión de Esquilo. Interesante y distinto a lo que venía acostumbrada.
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