Download The Oresteia AudioBook Free

Aeschylus' Oresteia, the sole ancient tragic trilogy to survive, is one of the great foundational texts of Western culture. It starts with Agamemnon, which describes Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War and his murder as a result of his wife Clytemnestra, continues with her murder by their son Orestes in Libation Bearers, and concludes with Orestes' acquittal at a court founded by Athena in Eumenides. The trilogy thus traces the evolution of justice in human society from blood vengeance to the rule of law, Aeschylus' contribution to a Greek legend steeped in murder, adultery, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and endless intrigue. This new translation is faithful to the strangeness of the original Greek also to its enduring human truth, expressed in language exceptional for poetic intensity, rich metaphorical texture, and a verbal density that modulates sometimes into powerful simplicity. The translation's precise but complicated rhythms honor the music of the Greek, bringing into unforgettable English the Aeschylean vision of a global fraught with spiritual and political tensions.

Category: Classics