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Prometheus Bound

by Aeschylus, James Scully (Translator), C. John Herington (Translator)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 5,614 ratings · 153 reviews

Featuring an insightful introduction, comprehensive commentary on plot, characters, structure, and other elements of the play, the complete Greek text and fragments, this new translation will be welcomed by students and scholars alike.

Paperback, 144 pages

Published February 1st 1990 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published -480)

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Dec 19, 2010 Joshua Nomen-Mutatio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, for-the-stage

I'm shocked to see that only one of my Goodreads friends has read this play. This is my favorite work of ancient Greek literature. The story has some pretty deep meaning. It's really the inverse of the Fall From Grace. Instead of the human desire for knowledge resulting in the perverse punishment of Original Sin as issued by that sadistic toddler running the show in the Old Testament, we find a tale of heroic sacrifice which results in the illuminating powers of reason and curiosity being bestow...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Terence rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-plays-the-thing

Having recently read Caroline Alexander’s The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad and the Trojan War, a wild hare came into my head to read Aeschylus’ Persians, which was mentioned in some connection with the book. My exposure to Greek playwrights is limited. In my infamous graduate-school days, my exposure to Greek authors comprised the historians and relatively obscure Byzantine chroniclers; I had done little reading – much less serious reading – of the literature.

As my a...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Clif Hostetler rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: play

When Aeschylus wrote this play 2500 years ago could he have anticipated that people would still be talking about it this many years later? Goethe, Shelley and Karl Marx all referenced the story of Prometheus in their writing. Wikipedia's discussion of the Promethean myth in modern culture has many examples where book titles, names used in science, game names, works of art, and numerous other examples where the name Prometheus has been used. With such a famous name, this story deserves to be read...more When Aeschylus wrote this play 2500 years ago could he have anticipated that people would still be talking about it this many years later? Goethe, Shelley and Karl Marx all referenced the story of Prometheus in their writing. Wikipedia's discussion of the Promethean myth in modern culture has many examples where book titles, names used in science, game names, works of art, and numerous other examples where the name Prometheus has been used. With such a famous name, this story deserves to be read. It should be acknowledged that the myth of Prometheus predated the play written by Aeschylus, so perhaps the playwright shouldn't get all the credit for the longevity of the story.

The Great Books KC group selected this book for discussion because we had previously discussed Frankenstein, a Modern Prometheus. Our discussion spent considerable time discussing what Mary Shelly may have been thinking when she placed the name Prometheus into her book's subtitle. The logical conclusion is that Dr. Frankenstein was Prometheus and the Monster was the equivalent of saving humans, giving them fire and teaching them the secrets of divination. Assuming that Shelly intended the monster to be an example of a big mistake leading to unintended consequences, did Shelly think that humans were big mistake? One interpretation of the Prometheus is that he did a bad thing by defying Zeus's wishes and saving humans from being destroyed and giving them fire. Shelly must have been a romantic who thought that nature would be so much better off if humans were not on the scene.

I prefer to believe that Shelly was thinking more about the fire given to humans than about humans themselves. Fire can do many good things, but too much of it can be undesirably destructive. It would follow that humans aren't good or bad, but rather how they use the fire given to them that's good or bad.

The Promethean myth was a well known story to those living in the first century Greco-Roman world. That may explain why the new Christian religion spread as quickly as it did among the Greek culture of the middle east, and why they went on to developed the atonement theory. The image of Prometheus being spiked to a boulder has obvious similarities to the Christian crucifixion story. Both stories involve a god saving humans. Thus when a new religion came along that involved Christ dying for sinners, it made sense to the people at the time. It's interesting to note that Eastern Religions that were not influenced by Greek myths did not develop a religion that involved a god suffering for the benefit of humans.

Perhaps God gave the Promethean myth to the ancient Greeks in order to prepare the mind set of the first Century Greco-Roman world to be open the Christian message.
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Jun 18, 2010 Jesse Lopes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

These plays are a mixed bag in a certain sense as the evolution of drama was still in its infancy, waiting to bloom into the full flower of Euripidean drama (in my opinion). Persians has no plot; Seven Against Thebes is plodding, and the Suppliants, like Prometheus Bound, is only the first part of a trilogy whose second and third parts are lost. Mueller brings these to vivid life, however, in a much more complete way than any other translators I've read, and the plays are still, by any standard,...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-through-history, 2012

We know the basic story of Prometheus: he gives fire to humans, is punished.

The story in Prometheus Bound is a little more complicated. One of the old school Titans, when their descendants (the Olympian Gods) under Zeus rebel, Prometheus tries to help the Titans; they spurn his help and he then changes sides. But Zeus turns out to be no more beneficent a ruler than Kronos was, so Prometheus once again switches, siding decisively with the common folk - humans - and giving them, along with fire, m...more We know the basic story of Prometheus: he gives fire to humans, is punished.

The story in Prometheus Bound is a little more complicated. One of the old school Titans, when their descendants (the Olympian Gods) under Zeus rebel, Prometheus tries to help the Titans; they spurn his help and he then changes sides. But Zeus turns out to be no more beneficent a ruler than Kronos was, so Prometheus once again switches, siding decisively with the common folk - humans - and giving them, along with fire, math, husbandry, and medicine. Now comes the punishment: the play opens as Hephaistos chains him down, and he whines like a bitch for like 30 pages before turning to self-aggrandizement and finally prophesying his own victory and the downfall of Zeus.

No wonder Karl Marx liked this play.

It's not terribly good. Certainly not as good as the Oresteia, and while it's unfair to say that because we're missing the second two parts of the Prometheus trilogy (stay tuned for my review of Percy Bysshe Shelley's recreation of Prometheus Unbound next week,) Prometheus Bound has nowhere near the depth of Agememnon, the first of the Oresteia trilogy and Aeschylus's best work. Apparently modern scholars (only in the past 20 years or so) are leaning towards believing that Prometheus Bound isn't by Aeschylus at all, and I see no reason to disagree.

Prometheus is one of our best metaphors. At his simplest: a genius chooses to share it with the proles against the will of the bosses and is punished. At what this play actually says: a genius goes with the revolution, hoping that life will be better under it; realizes that absolute power corrupts absolutely; and is punished. Either way, useful, although I prefer the second scheme for its depth and for its truth.

As a story it's terrific; whoever wrote this play didn't do a great job of expressing it.

The translation by Scully and Herington falls in the Fagles mode: a few too many modernizations ("Zeus is not / about to mellow," that seriously happened) but some lovely lines as well...uh, no, not really. Fagles can boast that, but Scully/ Herington have at best functional lines. I didn't care for this translation. I can't recommend it.(less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Lucas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read a few reviews before composing mine, just to see how others took this story. They vary quite a bit, but I found particularly amusing the 2-star reviews that said things like "Uhhh...this guy got chained to a rock and
was still chained at the end. Lame!"

I liked this book, but mainly because even though I'm a mythology junkie who knew the Prometheus story, I didn't really get it until I read this.

It would appear that Prometheus is the personification (or rather, deification) of human ingenu...more

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May 22, 2012 Rami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questa tragedia attinge al mito greco più famoso, quello di Prometeo; la scena si apre in modo spettacolare: ci troviamo in Scizia, landa deserta e isolata, e sopra ad un alto monte si trova, esposto a ogni tipo di intemperie, Prometeo, che sta per essere incatenato; è la sua punizione, decretata con decisione da Zeus e fatta rispettare, quasi con piacere e accanimento, da Kratos (potere) portavoce della volontà del capo degli dei. La colpa del Titano è quella si essersi comportato da “amico deg...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Ben Dutton rated it 2 of 5 stars

This play, included with Aeschylus’s plays, is thought by modern scholarship to be of another author, perhaps earlier than Aeschylus. It is not as an affecting work as the other plays grouped with it and certainly not a patch on the Oresteian Trilogy.

It is a very static work, with Prometheus chained to a rock for most of its action. According to the play Prometheus is being punished not only for stealing fire, but also for thwarting Zeus’ plan to obliterate the human race. Against this backdrop...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Nicholas Armstrong rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know, it would be easier if I could find the Myth collection I'm reading, but meh, I guess that would make reviews harder.

This is pretty short story and I guess it might be interesting if I hadn't heard it by word of mouth a million times over. I'm pretty sure my dad used to tell my most of these Greek myths when I was a kid so this was just kind of a review. However, there is something I find more interesting in the full-text version. Prometheus is the progenitor of not only fire, but also...more You know, it would be easier if I could find the Myth collection I'm reading, but meh, I guess that would make reviews harder.

This is pretty short story and I guess it might be interesting if I hadn't heard it by word of mouth a million times over. I'm pretty sure my dad used to tell my most of these Greek myths when I was a kid so this was just kind of a review. However, there is something I find more interesting in the full-text version. Prometheus is the progenitor of not only fire, but also hope, medicine, and the trades and techniques of humanity. Essentially, Prometheus is a much more prominent figure.

I've come to call Prometheus 'The Savior', for what he represents. Imagine Prometheus is Jesus, or Baldur, or any other deity or being that exists for the benefit of humanity; do that for me because they are pretty much all the same. The idea, essentially, is that humans have a tendency to want to make things seem better than they are, I suppose so that they can pretend tomorrow will be better.

Look at Zeus in this story; he abandons humanity to die without fire, hope, or medicine, and then he mercilessly punishes Prometheus for defying his rule. Prometheus, on the other hand nourishes and cares for mankind. It happens again and again in religion. Christian god is the law, the ineffable judgment, but Jesus has all the humanity we can recognize - just like Prometheus has the humanity and emotions the Greeks could recognize.

I guess it interests me most just to see this trend of humanity wanting the God figure juxtaposed to the Savior but they don't want to combine them.

Also, getting banished to hell by the earth cracking open and then chained to a rock so birds can eat out your liver is pretty hardcore. The only thing that stuck in my mind more was Sisyphus.

They were good at punishments. Imagine if Jesus had been chained to a rock for all eternity with birds eating his liver? Would there be rocks with a man chained to them on people's walls?... Think I could buy that?

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Feb 19, 2013 Mikael rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, drama

The Titan Prometheus is chained to a rock and made to suffer by Zeus, who is less than tickled that he has stolen Fire from the gods and given it to the humans, who Zeus would prefer remain ignorant apes.

There is quite a bit of doubt that Aeschylus is the author of this play, apparently partly due to some uses of meter that he was not wont to utilise, and partly due to something even I noticed: he really liked Zeus a lot and loved praising him ad nauseam in his plays, whereas the King of the God...more The Titan Prometheus is chained to a rock and made to suffer by Zeus, who is less than tickled that he has stolen Fire from the gods and given it to the humans, who Zeus would prefer remain ignorant apes.

There is quite a bit of doubt that Aeschylus is the author of this play, apparently partly due to some uses of meter that he was not wont to utilise, and partly due to something even I noticed: he really liked Zeus a lot and loved praising him ad nauseam in his plays, whereas the King of the Gods is depicted here as something of a sadistic tyrant. Other aspects, however, are very similar to other works by Aeschylus, mainly the lack of excitement and the fact that nothing happens. Prometheus Bound is sometimes attributed to Aeschylus’ son Euphorion, which in my overactive imagination would explain both the differences and the similarities: perhaps Euphorion wanted to rebel against his pious father by bashing Zeus, but couldn’t help being genetically just as boring as daddy.

Like most other Greek tragedies, this one is part of a trilogy, and as in the spectacularly dull case of The Suppliants, we are unfortunate in that only the first and no doubt dreariest play remains in existence.

Prometheus Bound is basically about Prometheus entertaining some visitors at his rock: Oceanus, his daughters, Hermes and, lest we forget, Io the Cow (who also had a part to play in The Suppliants). So what they do they do? Well, they talk about things that have happened, and then they talk a bit about things that are going to happen, and all the while nothing is actually happening in the present. On the very last page, Zeus throws a hissy fit via Hermes and makes Prometheus’ life even more unbearable, following which the play ends.

There is some absolutely beautiful geographical imagery and some shimmering fairy tale descriptions of faraway lands and people, and that does help crank up the entertainment level a little, and it’s also amusing just how much Prometheus lets his big mouth run concerning his own indispensability and general awesomeness, to the point that Hermes actually tells him that if he’s that full of himself in this predicament, he must be insufferable when things are going well for him.

Apart from the imagery and Prometheus’ personality, there isn’t much to enjoy here. I love the idea that this play could be staged as an allegory for what happens in certain countries when someone tries to bring education, rationality and civilisation to the people, but since this possible reading was hardly part of the author’s intention, it will not be reflected in my rating.

And so my love-hate relationship with Aeschylus comes to an end: whether or not he wrote this play, I have now read every work attributed to him, so it’s time to drop the proverbial turtle on his oeuvre’s proverbial bald pate and move on to greener pastures. And by that I mean Euripides and Sophocles.
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Mar 13, 2009 Max Maxwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everybody

Shelves: 50-book-challenge-2009-failed-48, the-classics, literature, drama

Why do people bitch and whine about having to read greek drama? Outside of the ubiquitous Antigone , this is my first encounter with Greek drama, and I loved it. Usually translating involves compromising a certain amount of poetry in lieu of clarity; see Stephen Mitchell's Book of Job for an illustration of this. In this edition of Prometheus Bound, there's nothing inaccessible; the text and the presentation and typography are straightforward. I didn't struggle with it at all. In fact, i was st...more

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Apr 25, 2013 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a shame three of these four plays are all part one of separate trilogies of which the other parts have been lost. This makes the plays seem somewhat dull and incomplete, but are certainly not terrible. They are simply lacking in when it comes to plot. If you compare them to the first play in the one trilogy of Aeschylus which is still intact (Oresteia), it is similarly slow-moving and would be fairly dull if taken by itself. The other two plays in Oresteia develop the story gradually and th...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Robyn Blaber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: greek-classics, drama

This is an important story in Western literature, because it is one of the earliest where a god makes a sacrifice of himself for mankind. His sacrifice directly benefits us by way of the gift of fire... a gift so powerful that the gods fear that our short lived race may challenge them one day.

Following in the Greek tradition, more modern gods like Mithras and Jesus sacrifice themselves for us, but we really don't get anything in return save being robbed of the sweet release of death, where we ar...more

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Sep 28, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's hard to give an overall review on this, as it's a collection of plays from antiquity where most of the surrounding context is lost. Aeschylus' plays were usually in trilogies and with only one part of a trilogy intact, it makes it hard to appreciate certain aspects of these plays. You can tell that Aeschylus tried to push the envelope, and come up with new technique for what was a relatively new medium at the time. From reading the introduction by the translator Philip Velacott, I get the s...more It's hard to give an overall review on this, as it's a collection of plays from antiquity where most of the surrounding context is lost. Aeschylus' plays were usually in trilogies and with only one part of a trilogy intact, it makes it hard to appreciate certain aspects of these plays. You can tell that Aeschylus tried to push the envelope, and come up with new technique for what was a relatively new medium at the time. From reading the introduction by the translator Philip Velacott, I get the strong sense that these are just glimpses into what were very moving trilogies.

Prometheus Bound is an introduction to a trilogy of plays featuring the titular Prometheus first being chained to a rock, then explaining to various passersby his story. The initial violence of the opening scene is jarring, but the majority of the play itself is very subdued, with Prometheus telling of his crimes against Zeus but that he has no regrets of bringing humanity it's greatest gift and bears his punishment gladly. This sacrifice is a pretty common thread across Western myths, but it shines very powerfully here.

The Supplicants basically sets the stage for a deeper, more moving trilogy where the bulk of the story is lost. Because of this, the play suffers drastically, as it just provides the context for something with a lot more action. I feel like this was very uninteresting and plodded along too slowly to be very memorable - but then again, it's just a teaser for the murderous undertaking to follow.

Seven Against Thebes was the real standout gem for me. Since it's the last part and apex of a trilogy rife with murder and struggle, it doesn't really hold back. In this story the citadel of Cadmea is under attack by seven bloodthirsty warriors. It's up the heroic defenders to stave them off. Although all the action happens off-stage, things end in a bloody mess, with the two sons of Oedipus killing each other. As with most Greek plays the inclusion of the chorus bogs down a lot of the action, but you can tell that Aeschylus is really trying out new techniques here, with the chorus actually interacting with the characters more than the other plays. I really liked the descriptions of the attackers and quick follow up of the defenders, I'd love seeing this play on stage.

As for The Persians, not much of note actually happens. It's basically a retelling of the loss of the battle of Salamis being relayed to the Persians back home. It's interesting enough, and clearly meant as more of a comedy which points out the hubris in Xerxes' battle strategies, but I feel like this was the weakest of the bunch and lost interest quickly. As a play, I'm sure it was very entertaining with the funny costumes and constantly poking fun at the Persians, but it's a bit flat and dry to just read through here.

One quick note - Velacott's translation really feels fresh and interesting, and his introductions and various comments throughout really help build a pretty deep understanding of the context and untranslatable humor behind the scenes. As is usually the case with ancient works, the translation is very key to the appreciation of the style, and here the wit of the original shines through.(less)

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Apr 11, 2012 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: college-books, university-scholars, plays

Basically, Prometheus is bound...the entire time. He makes the new ruler Zeus mad by stealing the fire of the gods and giving it to mortal men, to whom he's apparently given everything they claim as existence. Although Prometheus is a little haughty of the influence he had over humanity (I am the forefather of all men), his situation is pitiable. The Chorus, the Ocean, and Io all come to lament with him his situation. Hermes also comes to demand a prophecy from him for Zeus, but Prometheus refus...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Gjacobsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book

I don't read ancient Greek, so I can't speak to the translation (which seems important to many readers of classic Greek plays like this). However, I was familiar with the story of Prometheus. Having never read the play before, I was enthralled by its rhythm and energized by its pacing. I was also pleasantly surprised by Prometheus' obstinance/confidence regarding the ultimate resolution of the bad spot he's in - shackled and exposed to the elements - as he believed destined. It's unfortunate tha...more

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Mar 16, 2009 rr added it

I first read this tragedy more than twenty years ago. I remember loving it then, but I had forgotten it over the years--in graduate school so much focus is placed on Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy that you don't spend much time on his other works. This semester I assigned Prometheus Bound for my Mythology class, and I was astounded by it. This is envelope-pushing drama at its best: tradition-questioning (even cosmos-questioning) moves that we usually associate with Euripides are here in high form....more

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Feb 01, 2013 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: via-school, world-lit, classic, drama, myth, own, translated, reviewed

Better and far easier to read and understand than I thought it was going to be. I polished it off in two sittings that added up to about an hour if you include the introduction. The translation reads smoothly and has the same flowing poetry feel as I imagine the original work would have had.

I enjoyed it, but the reason I felt it was so "meh" was because it feels incomplete. It is incomplete. Prometheus Bound is suspected to be the middle part of a trilogy, with (in my opinion) the beginning and...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Matthieu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theatre, thoroughly-enjoyed, relics

Review to come... First two: Suppliants - boring; Persians - good. Last two: Seven Against - very good; Prometheus - incredible/shattering/vital.

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Jan 10, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nook

I really enjoyed this play, despite the fact that the entire thing takes place on the rock where Prometheus is chained! Prometheus is wonderfully unrepentant and Zeus is such a tyrant. Thanks to Prometheus, humans are saved from extinction at his hand and given not only fire, but all of the civilizing arts. With the arts to engage our minds, we don't live in perpetual fear of death, so we are less fearful of Zeus. And Zeus hates that! There is a surprising amount of ancient geography in this pla...more

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May 10, 2013 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 18th-and-19th-century, my-library, poets-and-playwrites

I have always greatly admired Shelley, though primarily through anthologies of his shorter works with the occasional larger piece interposed. Having learned of his Prometheus Unbound, I was on a mission to find it – a much more difficult task than I had at first supposed. Nearly all editions were of scholarly print and as the business often goes, out of print.

My luck changed with the Pagan Press edition. It was well worth the wait. It is a gem in that not only do you get the unabridged tragedy b...more I have always greatly admired Shelley, though primarily through anthologies of his shorter works with the occasional larger piece interposed. Having learned of his Prometheus Unbound, I was on a mission to find it – a much more difficult task than I had at first supposed. Nearly all editions were of scholarly print and as the business often goes, out of print.

My luck changed with the Pagan Press edition. It was well worth the wait. It is a gem in that not only do you get the unabridged tragedy by Shelley, but you also have Shelley’s own translation of the original Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. Here is not the place to get into the murky realm of interpretive theory, but needless to say Shelley’s translation is spellbinding. He is a master craftsman of the highest order. His translation practically rings as you speak it, with the weight of the words synergized by the unabashed modern forms that he employs. Delectable!

Now what to say for Prometheus Unbound…nothing but the word masterpiece can suffice. I do take Shelley at his word when he states that he is not writing a political piece here. I take this as a response to Milton’s Paradise Lose – though one which takes the theological question down to a proto-ontological one. His poetics for one strongly insert the structural hierarchy of the Miltonion conception of the heavens. Yet he changes Prometheus’ disposition towards Mercury from one of indifference as in Aeschylus to one of complicity in Unbound. This to me plays the old adage that the victor rights the history. God and the angels in Paradise Lost are not holy in and of themselves, but only so by means of authority (the reason for Satan’s fall); they become accomplices to the ‘crimes’ of Satan’s accusations. In so far as the final power/tyranny struggle is played out in Shelley we find the overthrow of said ruler for nothing but an empty chair as well as a caveat from Demogorgon that what has been achieved by man through the help of the gods can be lost again through their lesser natures – with none to blame but themselves.

The greatest difference though I found between Aeschylus and Shelley (aside from Shelley’s characteristically lush prose) is his daring. Prometheus Bound, as in most Greek tragedy, is very concise and with a low number of characters. This of course being for 1 performance and 2 the natural progression of the language. Nevertheless Shelley composes a piece with a panoply of various elements. So much so that Prometheus really only plays a significant role in Act I. However, his depth of poetic genius left nothing untouched. He is not afraid to go to facile arrangements between the spirits dialogues to heavily complex meters for the longer discourses. He has such a dexterity that he is able to make you feel the darkness of Demogorgon’s speech and the hubris of Jove. Even the fleeting act of the two fauns casually observing the outside world, what would be a trivial insertion, becomes an element of beauty in the voices of those minor characters and adds that much more depth to the transitions happening within the world.

I only love Percy Bysshe Shelley all the more.
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Oct 10, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people interested in.. well.. literature.

Shelves: ancient-literature, classics, kindle-ebook, mythology, plays, poetry, greek-lit

I especially recommend Prometheus Bound & The Seven Against Thebes. I wasn't a fan of the other two plays, even though they were indeed interesting (Xerxes managed to make a story starring a ghost boring!)

The Seven against Thebes was tense and all involved seemed bigger than life. I was scared for all the defenders of the city's gates and for a minute there I forgot I dislike both brothers (Oedipus' sons -> they are both a mess and... Antigone! Antigone! she's way cooler). And it has a ve...more

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Feb 17, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who love Greek Tragedy

Recommended to David by: David Hester

Shelves: tragedy

I am not really sure if I am going to make my goal of reading 40 new books this year, particularly since I have been bogged down with a silly collection of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I will give it a shot, and hopefully complete it. As I indicated, the 40 books will have to be new books of a decent length, however I will include ancient plays as being one book, however the catch is, I have already read pretty much all of them (with the exception of some Roman plays by Terrance an...more I am not really sure if I am going to make my goal of reading 40 new books this year, particularly since I have been bogged down with a silly collection of short stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I will give it a shot, and hopefully complete it. As I indicated, the 40 books will have to be new books of a decent length, however I will include ancient plays as being one book, however the catch is, I have already read pretty much all of them (with the exception of some Roman plays by Terrance and Plautus). However, this is beside the point and has nothing to do with this particular play.
Aeschylus is considered to be the father of Greek tragedy. I am not inclined to agree with that since I know that Thespis is the first recorded tragedian and actor in Greek theatre (however none of his plays survive) so, by indicating that Aeschylus is the father of tragedy, it has more to do with the fact that he is the earliest playwright that we have a complete play. It is said that he wrote probably about 60 of them, however only 7 survive (which is a real shame, because I would have loved to have seen the other plays connected with Promethus Bound). I would love to go further into the origins of Greek tragedy, but I would rather look at this particular play (I will leave it for when I get to the Suppliants).
This story is unusual for the surviving plays that we have in that it is set much father back in time than most of the other Greek plays that we have. A bulk of the tragedies are set during the Mycenaean period, and deal with the Trojan War, though we have some dealing with the story of Oedipus and its aftermath, as well as some dealing with Heracles, but a bulk of the plays are somehow connected with the Trojan War. It is somewhat different with Aeschylus, in that he wrote a play (the Persians) which deal with a contemporary event (but more on that at another time). This play, though, goes back to the origins.
Basically, the story goes that Zeus wanted to destroy humanity as they had not turned out as he had planned. However, Prometheus went to the humans and taught them how to make fire, which enabled them to survive Zeus' wrath. However Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock and then sending a vulture to eat his liver, and this was to happen for pretty much eternity. This particular play is believed to be the first in a trilogy (and Percy Shelly, the legend, has written a follow up), and some believe the trilogy is about how Prometheus and Zeus reconcile. However, all we are concerned about is this play, when Prometheus is chain to the rock and left for eternity.
I have written previously on this play (and I believe that the University of Adelaide probably owns the copyright to the essay that I wrote, but in the end, who cares, I wrote it and it is mine) and I may reprint it here (if I can be bothered, though I know where it is, it is just in pdf format) but not right now. However, I am inclined to discuss something different. The problem with university essays (especially in undergraduate studies) is that you really have to write what the teacher wants you to write, and you have to stick to it (though I did get a heaps good mark for that essay) where as here I can write about what I discovered in the play.
I believe that the idea of fire is actually a analogy for technology. Technology is something that our culture understands, but it was not something that the Greeks really though much of, however it is clear that the idea of discovering fire led to numerous other advances that resulted in civilisation. Fire gives power as not only does it keep people warm, but it enables other technologies to develop. Take for instance smelting metal. Without fire one cannot melt metal and thus turn them into tools. Without fire, one is pretty much limited to making tools out of wood, but with fire, everything changes (just see how dependant our society is on oil, which is burned to produce electricity). There is a catch though, Prometheus indicates that while humanity obtained fire, humanity lost the gift of prophecy. This is not necessarily true, as there were numerous prophets scattered about Greek mythology (Cassandra for instance) but it seems that prior to Prometheus' gift, all humanity had the gift of prophecy. It seems that technology destroys spirituality (another minor theme from the play).
I want to finish off with a biblical analogy. It is interesting that here, in the misty ages of early Greek Mythology, we find a god giving technology to humanity. This is similar to the bible, in that in the early parts of Genesis we have two branches of humanity, the Sethites and the Cainanites. I notice that the Cainanites acquired technology rather quickly, and is indicated that some of his line invented music and iron working. I believe that there was much more developed, but from Moses' veiw point, working iron was probably the greatest technological advance of his time. He would not have been able to see anything beyond that (just as we did not envisage the internet 20 years ago). Is technology evil? I do not think so, I believe that it is morally neutral, but rather it depends upon what it is used for. Nuclear technology can provide huge amounts of power, but in turn can level entire cities in a moments notice. No, technology is not inherently evil, but it is we, sinful humanity, that turns a beautiful gift from God into a means of destroying their fellow humans.(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 M. Milner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ancient-fictions

Four plays, three of them by the ancient Greek playwright Aechylus (is Prometheus Bound by his hand? maybe) are included in this volume translated by the late Philip Vellacott. Each of the plays are interesting reading, especially The Persians, although something is lost in their fragmentary state; as I understand it, each were originally part of a trilogy and we're missing two-thirds of their stories.

For me, The Persians is interesting in it's topic: it recounts the battle of Salamis from the...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review is based on a first reading with no prior exposure or background knowledge, so just keep that in mind.

There is very little plot, except for back-story involving Prometheus' compassionate acts toward humanity, the fall of the Titans, and the wanderings of Io. It's exclusively dialogue between Prometheus and various characters, taking place immediately after he is chained to the rock for stealing fire and giving it to humanity. Yet, the dialogue is rather riveting and I was highly disa...more This review is based on a first reading with no prior exposure or background knowledge, so just keep that in mind.

There is very little plot, except for back-story involving Prometheus' compassionate acts toward humanity, the fall of the Titans, and the wanderings of Io. It's exclusively dialogue between Prometheus and various characters, taking place immediately after he is chained to the rock for stealing fire and giving it to humanity. Yet, the dialogue is rather riveting and I was highly disappointed when it ended so suddenly.

What I like about Greek drama and poetry is that it's very easy to imagine events informing the narrative, such as described in terms of the back-story to this particular drama. I wasn't previously aware of the spin on the Olympians vs. Titans battle that Zeus was a tyrant, despised and feared by the other Olympians. I've always pictured him as sort of a blundering, sex-addicted idiot who can barely hit his target when throwing thunder bolts. Aeschylus' version of Zeus is a god of great majesty, power, vindictiveness, and unpredictability: a god whom even other gods dread. This makes Prometheus' acts and words all the more courageous and daring, if not also prideful and stubborn.

It is also not difficult to draw parallels between Prometheus and Christ based on this brief little drama: their great compassion for humanity that results in their own terrible suffering, their willingness to endure that suffering for such reasons, and their foreknowledge that suffering will eventually end. One of the major differences is that Prometheus' actions result from a compassion not shared by the gods, least of all "the Father" (as Zeus is called here), while Christ embodies the Father's own love for humanity as the incarnate Son. Prometheus' compassion challenges the gods while Christ's reveals God's own attitude toward human beings. And Prometheus' suffering is thrust upon him by the gods while it is the very objects of God's own love who inflict suffering onto Christ. Finally, Prometheus suffers but cannot ever die while Christ's suffering includes death although he is raised and now lives forever as death's conqueror.(less)

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Sep 24, 2010 Meghan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Each of these four plays were once part of their own trilogies. It is sad the other parts have not survived. Two of the plays, Prometheus Bound and The Suppliants, were excellent. I really felt the loss of the other plays then because I was left hanging in the middle of a story of which I wanted the end!

Prometheus Bound starts as Prometheus is being banded to the mountain crag where he will serve out Zeus' punishment for giving fire to mortals. Io makes an appearance (one of her descendants will...more

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Nov 12, 2010 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2010, plays, classical-studies, favorites

This is easily my favorite Greek play so far. Part of me has always been attracted to the story of Prometheus, which, I believe, is part of the reason why I'm so attracted to the classics. Why it took me so long to finally read it, I don't know.

This play is not normal for the modern audience, since the focus is on the characters (namely Prometheus) and not on action. Action wise, nothing really happens. It's a play the revels who Prometheus is through his conversations with various passers-by. A...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Scott Zuke rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of The Oresteia

I only skimmed The Suppliant Maidens and Seven Against Thebes. Even the editor's introductions admit that these plays are archaic and difficult for a modern reader to appreciate. They are worth skimming for two benefits, however: 1) to better appreciate the early strides in dramatic storytelling, and 2) to more fully grasp the advantages of having a full trilogy intact, as with Aeschylus's Oresteia.

Prometheus Bound is worth reading as it is easy to follow and raises some thought-provoking inquir...more I only skimmed The Suppliant Maidens and Seven Against Thebes. Even the editor's introductions admit that these plays are archaic and difficult for a modern reader to appreciate. They are worth skimming for two benefits, however: 1) to better appreciate the early strides in dramatic storytelling, and 2) to more fully grasp the advantages of having a full trilogy intact, as with Aeschylus's Oresteia.

Prometheus Bound is worth reading as it is easy to follow and raises some thought-provoking inquiries into the Greeks' views of the Gods' conception of the Greeks themselves. (If that makes any sense!)

The Persians was my favorite in this collection. Very interesting to see an historical, rather than mythological play, and this particular one exemplifies the Greeks' ability to see heroism and tragedy as a universal aspect of human affairs affecting even their enemies from foreign territories. The last couple of pages become tiresome with repetitive laments, but the rest of the play is paced relatively well and is fairly easy to read.

UPDATE: On a whim I gave Seven Against Thebes another shot and I actually enjoyed it far more than the editor's intro led me to expect I would. There are some fascinating passages featuring Eteocles as he chastises the women of Thebes for expressing their fears in public and thus lowering morale, and just after that he makes some somewhat cryptic remarks about the role of the gods in protecting the city. For such an early play, it seemed to show early signs of the intellectual revolution that would favor rational responses to distress over full suppliance to the fickle will of the gods--particularly since this is the final chapter of the Oedipus cycle, which, at least in Sophocles' rendition, demonstrated the insurmountable power of fate and the futility of human struggle against it. Eteocles seems unconvinced and unwilling to settle into a fatalistic nihilism. Instead he says it is still best for man to fight on and save interpreting the gods' will until after man has done his best to secure victory.(less)

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Aug 21, 2011 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, translated, classic, play, fiction

How does one approach reviewing Aeschylus or any of the classics? One is dealing with a work which is thousands of years old and in and of itself a piece of history. Add to that problem that for most of us, there is no choice but to read translations of the work, rather than the original. In addition, there are only a few works remaining from only three sources (unless the authorship has been incorrectly given), so one is left to compare Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, and given that Aeschy...more How does one approach reviewing Aeschylus or any of the classics? One is dealing with a work which is thousands of years old and in and of itself a piece of history. Add to that problem that for most of us, there is no choice but to read translations of the work, rather than the original. In addition, there are only a few works remaining from only three sources (unless the authorship has been incorrectly given), so one is left to compare Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, and given that Aeschylus was writing much earlier than the others the comparison would be rather difficult given the changes that Aeschylus made to Greek Theatre. What one can discuss is how readable the translations are, and the supporting material.

Aeschylus I, number 145 in the Loeb Classical Library contains four of Aeschylus’ plays: “Persians”, “Seven Against Thebes”, “Suppliants”, and “Prometheus Bound”. The edition I have read is the 2008 publication which was edited and translated by Alan H. Sommerstein. In the preface, Mr. Sommerstein discusses the state of the Aeschylus volumes prior to this publication and what he attempts to accomplish with this new translation and publication of the plays. This is followed by a superb introduction which discusses Aeschylus, his life, his works, Greek Theatre, and what happened to the plays in history to bring them to the point they are now at. This is followed by the standard Bibliography, Sigla, and Abbreviations which one expects from a Loeb edition, and that brings us to the plays themselves.

Each of the plays is preceded by a section detailing the specifics of the play. When it was believed to be first performed, whether it won the Dionysia competition, what parts of the play may be suspect, what is believed to be the other plays in the production and what is known about those plays. The footnotes in the translations of the plays themselves are also quite extensive, as information about the decisions made in the translation are covered as well as more information to better help understand any unspoken meanings that Aeschylus may have been trying to convey. The translations themselves are excellent. I have read a few translations of some of these plays, and Mr. Sommerstein has done an outstanding job of helping the reader understand the play.

“Persians” opens with the council of Susa (i.e. the chorus) unsure of the fate of their army and concerned because so many men went to war so far away. They are joined by the Queen Mother, Atossa who is also concerned, because of a dream she had. News of the disaster arrives by messenger, and all are distraught. Atossa asks the chorus to summon the ghost of Darius, who at first is completely unaware of what has occurred, and then curses the hubris of his son Xerxes who led his vast army to this disaster, and then prophesizes the defeat at Plataea. Eventually Xerxes himself arrives in rags and laments the defeat and what it means to Persia.

“Seven Against Thebes” begins after Thebes has been under siege for a time, and on a day when it has been prophesized (by Teiresias) that the city will be assaulted on that very day. A scout arrives and gives Eteocles a description of what has happened outside the city and then leaves to gather more information. Eteocles comments on what he has been told and leaves to oversee the defenses. The Theben maidens arrive (i.e. The Chorus) and describe the fear and terror felt inside the city. Eteocles returns and tries to shame the women into being silent and thus not spread any more fear, they agree and Eteocles once again leaves to inspect the defenses. The Chorus continues to comment until the scout returns and Eteocles rushes back to talk to him. The scout describes each of the seven captains who are assaulting the seven gates, finishing with Polyneices Eteocles discusses how each will be dealt with, and when he learns that is brother is at the seventh gate, he decides to go there to face his brother himself. The Chorus is left alone as both the scout and Eteocles have left the stage. The scout returns and we learn that Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other. The ending is a bit uncertain as it appears that Atigone and Ismene were added to the play for a later production. However, there is a dispute over what to do with the bodies of the two brothers.

“Suppliants” is about the Danaids who are fleeing a forced marriage and make a plea to King Pelasgus of Argos to protect them. He lets the Argive people make the decision, which is to help the Danaids. An Egyptian herald arrives to try to force the Danaids to return for the marriage, but King Pelasgus threatens the herald and pushes the Danaids to go within the walls of Argos for protection. For me, this was the most difficult play to follow, there was not much in the way of action, and significant sections of it are missing or were added in which makes it all the more difficult.

“Prometheus Bound” is the last of the plays in this volume, and along with “Persians” is the most enjoyable one to read. Some question whether Aeschylus actually wrote the play, but regardless it is an interesting one. The play opens with Prometheus being escorted to the wrong to which he will be bound by Power (Kratos), Violence (Bia), and Hephaestus, the smith. Violence never utters a word, nor does Prometheus himself during this initial period, but Power mocks Prometheus and Hephaestus is empathetic to Prometheus’s position. Power pushes Hephaestus until the job is done, and then the three leave Prometheus alone. For the remainder of the play Prometheus is chained to the rock, lamenting his position, and talking to those who come to see him, such as the daughters of Oceanus (Chorus), Oceanus, Io, and at the end Hermes. The play pits the tyranny of Zeus against Prometheus and his (Prometheus’s) love for man.

This is an excellent edition of the Loeb library, and the new translations of Aeschylus are quite good. One could argue that any edition of classic works deserves five stars, but in this case it is really earned.
(less)

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May 03, 2009 Rick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama

Aeschylus, who Robert Kennedy was fond of quoting—and to a saving effect the night of Martin Luther King’s assassination when he succeeded in maintaining calm after breaking the news to a crowd in an Indianapolis ghetto by connecting his suffering with theirs—wrote hundreds of plays with only seven surviving antiquity. So these four plays with the Oresteia represent the total of his extant plays. And the word “extant” is challengeable because each was part of a larger cycle of plays with the oth...more Aeschylus, who Robert Kennedy was fond of quoting—and to a saving effect the night of Martin Luther King’s assassination when he succeeded in maintaining calm after breaking the news to a crowd in an Indianapolis ghetto by connecting his suffering with theirs—wrote hundreds of plays with only seven surviving antiquity. So these four plays with the Oresteia represent the total of his extant plays. And the word “extant” is challengeable because each was part of a larger cycle of plays with the others in the sequences not surviving.

The four here are The Suppliant Maidens, The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, and Prometheus Bound. (The first two are translated by S.G. Benardete; the second two by David Grene.) The first concerns a group of women escaping Egypt and seeking an exile’s home in Argos from forced marriages. The second is about the royal house of the Persians learning of their disastrous defeat by the Greeks. The third play concerns two brothers, sons of Oedipus, fighting for control of Thebes. And the final play describes the Titan Prometheus’s punishment for giving gifts to man against the will of Zeus.

Kennedy’s judgment of Aeschylus as his favorite poet was an astute one. Unlike the Oresteia where murders are plotted and executed, there is little dramatic action here. The women plead their case to Argos’s king, a herald from the chasing Egyptians is turned away by the king. The Persians are defeated before the play begins and only the news of the defeat arrives at Xerxes’s palace. The battle for Thebes takes place outside the play’s speeches. Prometheus is chained to his rock and receives visitors. So poetry is all in these four plays and it succeeds brilliantly. Poetry and the subject matter: justice, courage, reason, tyranny, compassion in the face of suffering—what can you say about the fact of an empathetic play about the defeat of your hated enemies? Even absent the dramatic action these are compelling reading experiences, strong testimony of the universality of enduring art.

The quote, by the way, Kennedy called to mind was, “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” Great works of art help us gain wisdom by means less onerous that the unforgiving demands of experience. They are far more generous and open than we give them credit for, and we ignore them to our own detriment when we should embrace them to our benefit.(less)

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About Aeschylus

Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC) was an ancient Greek playwright. He is often recognized as the father or the founder of tragedy, and is the earliest of the three Greek tragedians whose plays survive extant, the others being Sophocles and Euripides. According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in plays to allow for conflict among them; previously, characters interacted only with the cho...more Aeschylus (525 BC – 456 BC) was an ancient Greek playwright. He is often recognized as the father or the founder of tragedy, and is the earliest of the three Greek tragedians whose plays survive extant, the others being Sophocles and Euripides. According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in plays to allow for conflict among them; previously, characters interacted only with the chorus. Unfortunately, only seven of an estimated 70 plays by Aeschylus have survived into modern times; one of these plays, Prometheus Bound, is sometimes thought not to be the work of Aeschylus.

At least one of Aeschylus' works was influenced by the Persian invasion of Greece, which took place during his lifetime. His play The Persians remains a good primary source of information about this period in Greek history. The war was so important to Greeks and to Aeschylus himself that, upon his death around 456 BC, his epitaph included a reference to his participation in the Greek victory at Marathon but not to his success as a playwright.

There are no reliable sources for the life of Aeschylus. He was said to have been born in c. 525 in Eleusis, a small town about 27 kilometers northwest of Athens, which is nestled in the fertile valleys of western Attica, though the date is most likely based on counting back forty years from his first victory in the Great Dionysia. His family was both wealthy and well-established; his father Euphorion was a member of the Eupatridae, the ancient nobility of Attica. As a youth, he worked at a vineyard until, according to the 2nd-century AD geographer Pausanias, the god Dionysus visited him in his sleep and commanded him to turn his attention to the nascent art of tragedy. As soon as he woke from the dream, the young Aeschylus began writing a tragedy, and his first performance took place in 499 BC, when he was only 26 years old. After fifteen years, his skill was great enough to win a prize for his plays at Athens' annual city Dionysia playwriting competition. But in the interim, his dramatic career was interrupted by war. The armies of the Persian Empire, which had already conquered the Greek city-states of Ionia, entered mainland Greece in the hopes of conquering it as well.

In 490 BC, Aeschylus and his brother Cynegeirus fought to defend Athens against Darius's invading Persian army at the Battle of Marathon. The Athenians, though outnumbered, encircled and slaughtered the Persian army. This pivotal defeat ended the first Persian invasion of Greece proper and was celebrated across the city-states of Greece. Though Athens was victorious, Cynegeirus died in the battle. Aeschylus continued to write plays during the lull between the first and second Persian invasions of Greece, and won his first victory at the city Dionysia in 484 BC. In 480 he was called into military service again, this time against Xerxes' invading forces at the Battle of Salamis. This naval battle holds a prominent place in The Persians, his oldest surviving play, which was performed in 472 BC and won first prize at the Dionysia.

Aeschylus was one of many Greeks who had been initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries, a cult to Demeter based in his hometown of Eleusis. As the name implies, members of the cult were supposed to have gained some sort of mystical, secret knowledge. Firm details of the Mysteries' specific rites are sparse, as members were sworn under the penalty of death not to reveal anything about the Mysteries to non-initiates. Nevertheless, according to Aristotle it was alleged that Aeschylus had placed clues about the secret rites in his seventh tragedy, Prometheus Bound. According to some sources, an angry mob tried to kill Aeschylus on the spot, but he fled the scene. When he stood trial for his offense, Aeschylus pleaded ignorance and was only spared because of his brave service in the Persian Wars.

Aeschylus traveled to Sicily once or twice in the 470s BC, having been invited by Hieron, tyrant of Syracuse(less)

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Books by Aeschylus

The Oresteia: Agamemnon / The Libation Bearers / The Eumenides

Agamemnon, Prometheus Bound, Oedipus the King, Antigone & Hippolytus (Greek Tragedies, Volume 1)

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“For somehow this is tyranny's disease, to trust no friends.” — 30 people liked it

“I gave them hope, and so turned away their eyes from death” — 9 people liked it

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