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The Complete Greek Tragedies: Aeschylus

aeschylus richmond lattimore david grene

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The Grene and Lattimore edition of the Greek tragedies has been among the most widely acclaimed and successful publications of the University of Chicago Press. On the occasion of the Centennial of the University of Chicago and its Press, we take pleasure in reissuing this complete work in a handsome four-volume slipcased edition as well as in redesigned versions of the familiar paperbacks.

For the Centennial Edition two of the original translations have been replaced. In the original publication David Grene translated only one of the three Theban plays, Oedipus the King. Now he has added his own translations of the remaining two, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, thus bringing a new unity of tone and style to this group. Grene has also revised his earlier translation of Prometheus Bound and rendered some of the former prose sections in verse. These new translations replace the originals included in the paperback volumes Sophocles I (which contains all three Theban plays), Aeschylus II, Greek Tragedies, Volume I, and Greek Tragedies, Volume III, all of which are now being published in second editions.

All other volumes contain the translations of the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides for the most part from the original versions first published in the 1940s and 1950s. These translations have been the choice of generations of teachers and students, selling in the past forty years over three million copies.

358 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27,2015

This edition

Format
358 pages, Hardcover
Published
August 1, 1992 by University of Chicago Press
ISBN
9780226307640
ASIN
0226307646
Language
English

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aeschylus

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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.

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Rating(3.7 / 5.0, 17 votes)
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asi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Shout out to all the 'woes'. Gotta' love Aeschylus.

I would say, of the whole lot, I found the 'The Persians' and 'Prometheus' to be the most fascinating, particularly 'Persians'. While the Orestes trilogy was assuredly the most well-written, I just couldn't connect to it as well as the latter two works. All-in-all, not as difficult or dull as I was expecting; the translations are fresh, complex, and enjoyable.
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HannHaru
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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I read this for my Classical Mythology course. Just cataloguing it here for my virtual record.
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TheEmeraldSword
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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A re-read from high school and college. I love epic stories and plays like the Illiad and the Odyssey. my favorite plays in this are: Odeipus, Prometheis Bound, Aaeggamemnon and Antigone. Very complete collection and glad my library had this to enjoy again.
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johneaston
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Just finished reading Alcestis and Medea in Euripides 1 as part of a course at the University of Chicago Graham school entitled Women in Euripides. Then we will read about Iphigenia in Aulis. We are also studying theatre/film versions.

In September I will take another classics class on Antigone -- a deep dive. I am enjoying being in the summer Euripides class with my longtime college friend Janet who was also a bridesmaid at my wedding. Also enjoying beginning to fill this gap in my college reading: the Greek classics.
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nycReaching
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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my version includes prometheus bound as well (which i do like), but anyway, i had read both the persians and prometheus unbound before so only supplicant maidens and seven against thebes were new to me, and it's quite easy to see why they were relatively forgotten.
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sakshiagain17
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Only read Agamemnon. Translation is enjoyable, but requires a lot of effort on the part of the reader.
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Malekhitlit
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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A true testament to understanding how fine the line between justice and revenge truly is. The beginning of this trope, this play is essential to understanding how years of war and suffering plague us as human beings. By reflecting back we can understand whether or not our suffering is for the sake of suffering, or contains a deeper meaning.
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