The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume I: Aeschylus

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

Genres: Plays, Classics, Mythology, Drama, Poetry, Classical Studies

245 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1942

About the author

David Grene (1913-2002) taught classics for many years at the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Tobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of plays, particularly the Sophocles plays. After something like 2500 years Antigone may still be the best statement on tensions between obligations to secular power and obligations to conscience and higher law ever written.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh...not so much. Note that I was in the process of moving and basically not sleeping while reading this. May have influenced my impression. As of now, I'd say that this will have more value looking impressive on a bookshelf than in actually being read. Let's just hope none of our guests ask me anything about it. While entertaining in sections, I was fighting to get through it. I'm likely not smart enough for this, but felt like there were sections where I was engaged and other parts where I lost the thread for pages at a time.

Still not sure I understand the point of Prometheus Bound...

I have a different edition not on Goodreads. Mine is a 1942 published pocket hardcover (with a lovely dust jacket). Its from the Modern Library and is volume 1 of 7 in the Complete Greek Tragedies. This one included Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides and Prometheus Bound. I believe it is before the days of ISBN numbers, when the world was foolish and innocent. Picked this up at the Oakland Public Library fill a bag for $5 sale. Interesting that its stamped for the Middletown Library and has the checkout card in the back...all dated from 1966 and 1967. Awesome. Part of me wonders if there is a library cop somewhere trying to hunt this book down.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I get why these tragedies are such classics, but I'm really not good at reading things written in verse. Even though - with major help from CliffsNotes and Sparknotes - I managed to understand enough of the plays to feel comfortable giving a tentative review, I feel like this is a book that I could really use a re-read of after I've gotten some more practice reading this style of writing.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favorite translation of the Oresteia, but I enjoyed re-reading them and love having all of Aeschylus in one volume. I enjoyed reading "Prometheus" and found "Seven Against Thebes" to be a lot more enjoyable than the introduction made it seem like I would.

[robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg...how rich and deep these plays are! I understand now why these strange things were written.