The Works of Aeschylus by Aeschylus

Description

The Works of Aeschylus present the enduring legacy of the playwright often called the father of Greek tragedy. His surviving dramas offer a sweeping look at early dramatic form, the weight of ancestral duty, and the uneasy relationship between divine law and human action. First performed in the 5th century BCE, these works stand at the beginning of Western theatre, yet still challenge and unsettle readers today. At the heart of the collection lies The Oresteia, comprising Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers (Choephori), and The Eumenides. This trilogy follows the fall of the House of Atreus, beginning with Agamemnon’s troubled return from Troy and continuing through cycles of revenge that pit family loyalty against moral restraint. The concluding play brings the establishment of civic justice, reflecting the shift from blood-feud to lawful order — a turning point that resonates with the deep concerns of any society trying to rise above its past. The remaining surviving plays show Aeschylus experimenting with scale, spectacle, and moral inquiry. Persians offers a rare historical tragedy, exploring the aftermath of Xerxes’ defeat from the perspective of the defeated themselves. Seven Against Thebes dramatizes a city under siege and the bitter legacy of Oedipus’ sons. The Suppliants examines asylum, consent, and the obligations of rulers when faced with the vulnerable. Finally, Prometheus Bound, long attributed to Aeschylus, portrays the titan Prometheus chained for defying Zeus, raising sharp questions about tyranny, foresight, and the cost of standing firm. Together, these plays form a foundational pillar of classical literature, and this collection brings them into one place. These are all late 19th, early 20th-century translations by E. D. A. Morshead.

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Formats: PDF, epub, AZW3
Page Count (PDF): 241
Illustrations: No
Note: Many of the books available here were first published generations ago. Care has been taken to produce clear, readable files, but occasional imperfections may remain. Minor irregularities are part of the character of older texts.