The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume 1: Aeschylus [Hardcover]

Aeschylus (Author), David Grene (Editor), Richmond Lattimore (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226307646 | ISBN-13: 978-0226307640 | Publication Date: August 1, 1992

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.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek

About the Author

Richmond Lattimore (1906–1984) was a poet, translator, and longtime professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 358 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226307646
• ISBN-13: 978-0226307640
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,067,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important in History, Literature and Anthropology, November 7, 2002

By 

Big Dave (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume 1: Aeschylus (Hardcover)

Physically, this is a nice book. It's volume one of a four volume collection, _The Complete Greek Tragedies_ (volume two is Sophocles and volumes three and four are Euripides), and all four volumes are lovely hardcovers, printed on nice paper, with handsome Greekish designs on the front and interspersed throughout. Maybe not so attractive as to go on your mantel, but their prominence in your library will not be an embarassment.

The contents are lovely to match. The translations (by Lattimore, Grene and Bernadete) are readable and flowing. The book has almost no footnotes (only Grene's translations of "Seven Against Thebes" and "Prometheus Bound" have any at all, and there they are sparse), but each play (or collection of plays, in the case of the Oresteia) is introduced by a brief explanatory essay. If you know nothing about the Greeks or Greek tragedy, these essays will not be enough to get you through (and you should check out Rose's _Handbook of Greek Literature_), but if you have a little background information already, the essays are helpful (especially the introductory essay to the Oresteia, which is the most fulsome).

Now, about the plays themselves. Of course, you have to read them. This is, effectively, the beginning of Western drama, and the combination of familiar and alien elements is fascinating. In some ways, Aeschylus's plays are like modern musicals, or like opera, with very few characters, a big role played by a chorus, and lots of long songs. Action happens all off-stage and is described by the characters.

In addition to being important as part of the history of drama, the plays are important primary sources of Greek mythology. In particular, the Oresteia is simply the most complete telling of the murder of Agammemnon and his children's revenge. In addition, "Prometheus Bound" is an important source for understanding the tale of the West's most famous fire-thief, and "Seven Against Thebes" gives detail and perspective about the tragedy of Oedipus not contained in Sophocles's retelling.

Finally, being the most ancient of the tragedians, Aeschylus gives narrative details that reflect a very ancient Greek culture, including, for instance, his ideas about justice and family and several descriptions of rites of aversion. Aeschylus is important -- read him.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LAttimores Masterpiece of translation of Aeschlyus, June 16, 2000

By 

Ernest Boehm (Des Plaines, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume 1: Aeschylus (Hardcover)

This edition is the materworks of two great men Aeschylus and Richmond Lattimore. I have read a dozen of translations of Aeschylus and this has no rival. As well the whole series edited by Green and Lattimore are the best compelation of all the Greek tragedy to date. Lattimore understand the darkness and the fatilism of greek tragedy. The verse translation is flowing and rythmic as the greek is. The translation is loose and not exacting like Lattimores Illiad but he captures the theme better than a too literal translation would allow.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard Initially, but Excellent, March 9, 2002

By 

Joyce M. Sico (Mt. Holly, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume 1: Aeschylus (Hardcover)

Lattimore's translation, I will admit, is difficult to get into at first if you are not familiar with his style or with the Greek classics in general. I remember sitting with it in front of me, trying for about 45 minutes to get past the first page. But please, don't be scared! Once you get past the initial difficulty and really start to immerse yourself into Lattimore's style, this is probably the most rewarding and interesting translations available. It keeps the Greek alive, displaying beautifully the particulars of the original text. An excellent and literal translation.