Aeschylus: Eumenides (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) [Paperback]

Aeschylus (Author), Alan H. Sommerstein (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521284309 | ISBN-13: 978-0521284301 | Publication Date: November 24, 1989 | Edition: First Thus

Sommerstein presents a freshly constituted text, with introduction and commentary, of Eumenides, the climactic play of the only surviving complete Greek tragic trilogy, the Oresteia of Aeschylus. Of all Athenian tragic dramas, Eumenides is most consciously designed to be relevant to the situation of the Athenian state at the time of its performance (458 B.C.) and seems to have contained daring innovations both in technique and in ideas. The introduction and commentary to this edition seek to bring out how Aeschylus shaped to his purpose the legends he inherited, and ended the tragic story of Agamemnon's family in a celebration of Athenian civic unity and justice. The commentary also pays attention to the linguistic, metrical and textual problems to be encountered by the reader.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Greek (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

A text, with introduction and commentary, of Eumenides, the climactic play of the only surviving complete Greek Trilogy, the Oresteia of Aeschylus, and the one most relevant to the Athenian state at the time of its performance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; First Thus edition (November 24, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521284309
• ISBN-13: 978-0521284301
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Greek text and commentary., May 26, 2003

By 

Timothy Doran (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aeschylus: Eumenides (Cambridge Greek and Latin Classics) (Paperback)

(Note: just in case you don't know this: this edition is in ANCIENT GREEK, not English. The only English is in the [voluminous] notes, not a translation.)
I found this edition of the third play of Aeschylus' Oresteia very fine and very complete, and I was able to read all of the Eumenides with it -- and I am only in my second year of Greek (although my dedication may be above average). Sommerstein hits all the notes and remains balanced. The emendations are eminently well-defended; the meters are clear; the notes are thick and well-written. The historical overview of the years leading up to 458, when the play was produced, is unusually thorough for a book like this and deserves to become the standard for all such introductions. The cross-referencing with lines from other Greek literature is exhaustive and complete; much of the cross-referencing to different articles and works by modern authors impresses as well, with one caveat below.
Depending on which kind of an Oresteia scholar you are, you may become frustrated with this book. In his notes, Sommerstein evades many of the gender issues that are seen by some as essential to the play. This is done with the utmost in skill, though, so if you didn't know (or couldn't read or think) you might think there were no gender issues in the play. Hand-in-hand with this fact, he ignores important American writing on the Oresteia (done by Froma Zeitlin in her bold, some might venture to say excessive, but nonetheless important 1977 article "The Dynamics of Misogyny," for example) and does subscribe to a view of the Oresteia with which I have great sympathy, but that some may find naively progressive. To wit, Sommerstein believes the Oresteia to be about joy, triumph, cooperation in Athens, and a new era.

Overall, regardless of these matters this book is very fine. I would certainly use it were I to teach a reading class on the play.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Immortal Play, Questionable Edition, March 5, 2010

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Eumenides (Paperback)

There is no denying The Eumenides' 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. However, since it is part of the Orestia trilogy, and there are many editions with all three plays, it is hard to justify a standalone, especially as one can get all three for little or no more than this.

As the earliest known dramatist whose work survives, Aeschylus' influence is impossible to exaggerate, and this 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 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 them because we see ourselves in them. With its background 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. Agamemnon dramatizes these with unforgettable vividness and provokes at least as much thought as ever. It is essential reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in drama, history, or ancient Greece - indeed, literature itself.

Again, though, it is much better experienced in full and also more affordable and convenient. Readers would do well to get the trilogy, of which I recommend the Robert Fagles translation, which 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 with Fagles, the only version most will ever need.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Final Third of Aeschylus' Masterpiece, May 22, 2000

By 

Sean Ares Hirsch - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eumenides (Paperback)

This final part of Aeschylus' trilogy in no way falls short of part 1 and 2. Orestes stands trial before the gods for his actions in part 2. Aeschylus DOES NOT allow the suspense to slack for a single moment! While I read this, I was pretty close to hyperventilating. Basically the fight in court comes down to Athena (the goddess of wisdon and Zeus' favorite child) and Apollo (the embodiement of reason) vs the furies. When Athena and Apollo defeated the furies, I can not overestimate the relief I felt. This trilogy is truly the gem in Greek Mythology.