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| Author: Aeschylus
Creators: David Grene, Richmond Lattimore
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.00
Buy New: $11.70
You Save: $1.30 (10%)
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 5448
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 180
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 0226307786
Dewey Decimal Number: 882.01
EAN: 9780226307787
Publication Date: May 15, 1969
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Note on transation August 30, 2006
6 out of 12 found this review helpful
I have read a few things by Lattimore, and while he is touted as the most accurate translator of Greek literature, I find him increadibly difficult to read. His sentences sometimes make no sense at all.
English is a language that depends upon syntax and the order of words in a sentence; Greek is not this way, it is a language with myriad declensions and conjugations, effectively allowing its poets to manipulate a sentence's word order.
Lattimore may simply be too accurate to the Greek originals, because the word order--translated so precisely--simply does not fit well in the English.
I recommend Fagles, who is an amazing translator; and while he is accurate, he also understands the limitations of translating the Greek to English. His sentences are fluid and capture the life of the translation. For Aeschylus, I also recommend Philip Vellacott. Check out Fagles, then check out Vellacott. But please forego the Lattimore translations, unless you really want to understand just the sort of impact a bad translation can have.
 An excellent trilogy January 22, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Aeschylus (525-456 BC) is the father of Greek tragedies (one legend reports that Dionysus himself commanded Aeschylus to write them). Of the seventy tragedies that he wrote, only seven have survived to the present day. These three plays form the most complete tetralogy that we have (a tetralogy contained three tragedies and one satyr play - a semi-religious, semi-mocking performance that acted as a postlude to the tragic trilogy) - only the satyr play is missing.
In Agamemnon, the Greek king returns from the Trojan War, with his prize of the Trojan prophetess Cassandra. Cassandra knows that Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, will kill them, but she is fated to be not be believed. And so, the deed is done.
In The Libation Bearers, Clytemnestra has a nightmare that she gave birth to a snake, and so she sends her daughter Electra to Agamemnon's grave to pour out a libation. However, Electra meets her brother, Orestes, and the two plot revenge upon their mother, and her loved. And so, murder begets murder.
In The Eumenides, Orestes is fleeing the Furies, who are pursuing him for murdering his mother. Orestes flees to Apollo, who sends him on to Athens, to be judged by Athena herself.
This is an excellent trilogy. Even though it is over 2,000 years old, it still makes an interesting read. In particular, I enjoyed The Eumenides, with its battle of supernatural beings, and its showcasing of the development of Western jurisprudence. Overall, I found this to be an interesting and informative book, one that I do not hesitate to recommend to everyone.
Tragedy's Daddy September 8, 2001
2 out of 10 found this review helpful
Aeschylus' trilogy is very enjoyable reading. It would be fun to see these plays performed. It's too bad that so many of Aeschylus' plays did not survive. The only reason this is not a 5 star rating is that the translation was awkward in just a few places. 4.5 stars is probably the correct rating.
The Oresteia Trilogy September 11, 2003
2 out of 10 found this review helpful
Aeschylus's Oresteia Trilogy is a wonderful story and great to read. It explains the greek life and life styles that were brought about thousands of years ago during the time of the greek god's and the days of almighty Zeus. Aeschylus brigns about a storyline that will keep you wanting to read until the very end. This is a great story and for all ages to be enchanted by!
bad translation July 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Lattimore, in his inept poetic exuberance, often loses the sense of a line and confuses the reader. Aeschylus is so powerful he can't be diminished entirely, but where is the modern translation we need? Lattimore published this in 1953, and says in his introduction that he changed little from a 1926 translation. Does anyone know of a better, more recent translation?
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