In the Oresteia—the only trilogy in Greek drama which survives from antiquity— Aeschylus took as his subject the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. Moving from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, it's spirit of struggle and regeneration is eternal.
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Text: English, Greek (translation)
About the Author
Aeschylus was born of a noble family near Athens in 525 BC. He took part in the Persian Wars and his epitaph, said to have been written by himself, represents him as fighting at Marathon. At some time in his life he appears to have been prosecuted for divulging the Eleusinian mysteries, but he apparently proved himself innocent. Aeschylus wrote more than seventy plays, of which seven have survived: The Suppliants, The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, Prometheus Bound, Agamemnon, The Choephori, and The Eumenides. (All are translated for Penguin Classics.) He visited Syracuse more than once at the invitation of Hieron I and he died at Gela in Sicily in 456 BC. Aeschylus was recognized as a classic writer soon after his death, and special privileges were decreed for his plays.
Robert Fagles is Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Comparative Literature, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He is the recipient of the 1997 PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His previous translations include Sophocles’s Three Theban Plays, Aeschylus’s Oresteia (nominated for a National Book Award), Homer’s Iliad (winner of the 1991 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award by The Academy of American Poets) and Homer’s Odyssey.
Robert Fagles is Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor of Comparative Literature, Emeritus, at Princeton University. He is the recipient of the 1997 PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His previous translations include Sophocles’s Three Theban Plays, Aeschylus’s Oresteia (nominated for a National Book Award), Homer’s Iliad (winner of the 1991 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award by The Academy of American Poets) and Homer’s Odyssey.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
With his recent translations of Aeschylus, Sophocles and especially Homer, Robert Fagles assumes the status of the finest Greek translator of the age. The grandeur, excitement and triumph of this beautiful translation cannot be overstated. The Oresteia is truly one the most monumental and enduring legacies from the Golden Age. Here is a translation which befits the greatness of the subject.
Some additional random musings:
1. This is one of the many books I was "forced" to read in graded courses at the University, but only really first discovered when I was long graduated and freed from all compulsory studies. In the meantime I have also had the time and passion to study -- very slowly and with great delight -- the originals.
2. As with other "great" works of literature, my advice is to ignore what the "experts" have to say about the work and go straight to the work itself. Thus, skip the intimidating intro and dive right into the text, doubling back later only if the muse strikes you.
3. After reading and then rereading Fagles' new translation of the Agamemnon, Libation Bearers and Eumenides I am struck by the similarities of the Oresteia in both tone, theme and mien to the greatest Shakespearean tragedies, especially Hamlet. My dogeared copy of this Aeschylus is now bristling with notes and crossreferences to the Bard.
70 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Oresteia (the only extant complete Greek trilogy) consists of three plays: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and the Eumenides. It begins with Agamemnon returning home triumphant from the Trojan war only to be struck down (together with the tragic Cassandra) by his wife Clytaemnestra. Her motives while just (he sacrificed their daughter Iphigeneia to calm the winds) are impure because of her adultery with Aegisthus.
The second play is the vehicle for Clytaemnestra's punishment, as her son Orestes returns to kill both her and Aegisthus with the help of his sister Electra.
Finally, the Eumenides has the trial of Orestes by Athena, as she stops the furies from taking him in return for the blood-guilt he incurred for killing his mother. The Eumenides provides the way to end the cycle of revenge by banishing the furies from active participation in the world of men.
The cycle can be read in any number of ways. The introduction to the Penguin/Fagles translation contains a summary of the various readings. I kept wondering what Proteus, the missing fourth satyr-play would have provided. We read it so clearly as a trilogy and the Eumenides has such a harmonious ending that I can't help but wonder if the circle closed in the third play reopens in the fourth or if it was something else entirely.
My only complaint about the book is that in the Fagles translation the notes are at the back of the book rather than assigned per page, and I find that a cumbersome style to read.
50 of 53 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Professor Fagles' translation of the Oresteia trilogy is the most powerful, moving, intense, bloody, achingly sad and beautiful drama I have ever read. As a typical member of the late Baby Boomer/early Gen X generation, I was never assigned such texts in school, and had the misconception that anything written by an ancient Greek must be boring, stale, and irrelevant. Fagles' Oresteia translation shows how misguided we are, and (along with his Illiad, Odyssey, and Three Theban Plays) opens up an incredible world to so many of us who have been in the dark.
Do not read this simply for your intellectual, moral, and spiritual improvement -- experience this because it is so enjoyable. "Pulp Fiction," "The Terminator," "The Titanic," Stephen King, or the latest Martin Scorcese film cannot compare for plot, intrigue, sex, violence, gore, intensity, entertainment, or cutting edge creativity.
From the plays' depiction of horrendous and unspeakable crimes to its climactic courtroom drama, you'll see why so many ancient playgoers fainted in the audience -- some women even having spontaneous miscarriages -- and why modern readers are so shocked and on the edge of their armchairs. Even if you've never read a "classic" or a "great book," read this.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
good
this was a good buy and i'm glad that i went through with it. very happy with the good price.
Published 1 month ago by dylan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Aeschylus's Masterpiece
This is a modern (circa 1999) translation of one of the greatest of the Greek Tragedies that has survived. Read more
Published 2 months ago by James Henderson
4.0 out of 5 stars
text book
a required text for a greek mythology class. I found that I enjoyed greek literature. the book shipped quickly and was well priced for a used book.
Published 3 months ago by Nichole Pennybacker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great!
This is just great! It was exactly what I was looking for and at a fair price as well. I highly recommend this product.
Published 4 months ago by AnonGuyFawkes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
Very good trilogy. Never read a play before this one. They say it is hard to read but it is not. It has notes in the back and definitions for words in subtext
Published 7 months ago by Jwho
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only surviving trilogy in a forceful English version
The only surviving trilogy of classical Greek tragic plays (though its corresponding satyr play is lost), the Oresteia represents better than any other work the raw and primal... Read more
Published 10 months ago by John in Orlando
5.0 out of 5 stars
A linguistic tour de force, thick and heady writing
Incredible. The language and images are dense and often feel hidden behind this odd primeval sort of weightiness. Read more
Published 14 months ago by jafrank
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wagner and Aeschylus
For those taking the time to deepen their lives by reading this great work, I would heartily recommend reading Micahel Ewans's insightful comparison of "The Oresteia" with Wagner's... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Tyrone H. Collins
5.0 out of 5 stars
General Notes on Translation and Conent
If you are college student and your professor has asked you to get a different translation, please ignore him or her politely and purchase this one. Read more
Published on May 10, 2011 by Consumer
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kindle Edition Issues
The plays themselves are fine works of Greek drama, however there are some issues with the formatting of the Kindle edition. Read more
Published on April 6, 2011 by Zach Donisch
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