The Complete Aeschylus: Volume I: The Oresteia (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

These plays are among the founding documents of Western Civilization, dramatizing the movement from bloody tribal revenge to a community of justice based on law. A good translation is essential to understanding them, and these translations are good.Compare the first lines of the Agamemnon from the older Lattimore version published by the University of Chicago:"I ask the gods some respite from the weariness of this watchtime measured by years I lie awake elbowed upon the Atriedaes' roof dogwise to mark the grand processionals of all the stars of night burdened with winter and again with heat for men. dynasties in their shining blazoned on the air, these stars, upon their wane and when the rest arise."with the same lines from that of Alan Shapiro in this Oxford University Press volume:"I beg the gods to deliver me at last from this hard watch I've kept now for a year upon the palace roof of the Atreidae, dog-like, snout to paws, night after long night, studying the congress of the stars, the unignorable bright potentates that bring down through the night sky to us here below, the summer now, and now the winter, eternal even as they wane and rise."I don't know which version is more faithful to the original, although I understand that Ancient Athenian Greek is so different from Modern English that any attempt at translation is highly problematic, some would even say impossible. Still, most of us aren't going to learn Ancient Greek, so if we are to read these plays at all we need translations, approximate as they may be. The best a translator may be able do is to render the original into a version that is understandable and can be enjoyed by the educated reader. Shapiro's Oxford version is quite clear and understandable Modern English poetry, and I have enjoyed reading it, which was definitely NOT the case with Lattimore's.The copious end notes in this edition are also quite helpful.epops

These classic plays are a must-read for an educated person. Unfortunately, the Amazon electronic version has numerous errors. Perhaps the funniest is the place where the text says "And who is it among the high Cods [sic] - ApoHo [sic], maybe, Pan or Zeus? I shouldn't the Gods would be pleased to be called "Cods" (even in an electronic text), and I doubt that Apollo would be pleased to be addressed as "ApoHo."

The purpose of this translation is to make the book more relevant to the modern reader. This is the only translation I've yet read. I bought this one because I loved the Sophocles translation in the same series. This is by different translators and I didn't find it quite as engaging, but still enjoyed it.

This is the best translation I've read of The Oresteia. It's very readable. There is an excellent Introduction that recounts the background of the story, the Translator's discussion of how he dealt with the issues of turning classical Greek into modern English and Notes at the end that give detailed explanations of various passages. All in all, this is excellent.

I really enjoyed the introduction by Peter Burian. It provided enough insight so that as I have read the plays they made sense.

I bought this based on the reviews that lauded the translation. But I naively (I should wish not!) assumed that the Kindle edition was the same as the paperback edition, since they are both listed on the same page and carry the same reviews. Not only is the Kindle edition a completely different translation, it includes no information at all about the translation or translator, nor any information about the publisher, publication date or place, etc. I have returned it for a refund.

Superb translation that conveys the drama of the original in accomplished English that is not stilted or contrived.

Read these, do good things.

The publisher’s name, Pandora’s Box Classics, appears on the front cover but there is no information about the publisher beyond that. And they apparently have no online presence (that I could find).There are no notes included (they would have been helpful). There are numerous typos in this edition and it interferes with comprehension at times. There is a functional (live) table of contents at least.No information is given about the translator, but a bit of research reveals it’s the work of E.D.A. Morshead (1849-1912). As seems to be common with Victorian era translations, it uses Elizabethan era English, which can come off as pretentious. It also uses many obscure and archaic terms. It would be interesting to reread these plays in a clearer, less affected translation. Any negativity here should be understood to be directed at this edition and translation, not Aeschylus’ original works. This particular translation seems to be available in a number of editions out there (it’s in the public domain).I don’t mean to be too critical of Morshead’s translation. His use of archaic terms is creative, his knowledge is vast and it flows well. But at times it just sounds artificial. But it’s often quite vivid and deserves credit for that. The editors of this edition however, deserve no credit.This is a poorly put together collection of both Morshead’s translations and Aeschylus’ plays.Just avoid it and look for another one.

:) love it!!!