The most famous series of ancient Greek plays, and the only surviving trilogy, is the “Oresteia of Aeschylus”, consisting of the “Agamemnon”, “Choephoroe” (’Libation Bearers’) and “Eumenides” (‘Kindly Ones’). These three plays recount the murder of Agamemnon by his queen Clytemnestra on his return from Troy with the captive Trojan princess Cassandra; the murder in turn of Clytemnestra by their son Orestes; and Orestes’ subsequent pursuit by the Avenging Furies (Eumenides) and eventual absolution. There has been no shortage of translations and adaptations of the “Oresteia”, but such are the poetic complexities of Aeschylus’ language and the remoteness of the world he depicts that they mostly fall far short of either the literal meaning or the spirit of the original. This translation by an eminent scholar stays as close to the text as English idiom will allow and is perfectly adapted to the student’s needs. Notes elucidate the difficulties, and introductions to each play set the trilogy against the background of Greek religion as a whole and Greek tragedy in particular, presenting a true assessment of Aeschylus’ dramatic art.
