Greek Tragedies: Volume 2

The Complete Greek Tragedies #2

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

In three paperback volumes, the Grene and Lattimore editions offer a selection of the most important and characteristic plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides from the nine-volume anthology of The Complete Greek Tragedies. Over the years these authoritative, critically acclaimed editions have been the preferred choice of more than three million readers for personal libraries and individual study as well as for classroom use.

Genres: Classics, Plays, Drama, Mythology, Fiction, Poetry, Theatre

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 1960

About the author

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

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have thought Shakespeare is a must read for everyone, than I think you would agree that these Three Playwrights must also be read. I am surprised how relevant I found them to be. Euripides was especially a surprise for me. Known as a misogynist, I found him to be the first feminist writer. His woman are round, powerful, and often evil. But more importantly he delineates the female plight in his culture. I loved much of his work.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying this series-Greek tragedies are so compelling! This volume in the series was good, however there were truly only 3 different plays-one of which was repeated 3 times, though they were separate retellings. The order of the plays was also a bit strange-there was a sequence to the different plays-they were all from a central story and the same world, but the plays were not in that sequence.

Personally, Iphigenia in Tauris was my favorite, but they were all great, though The Trojan Women was pretty heartbreaking (as expected for a Greek tragedy).

I really enjoyed the plays, and I do appreciate the groupings, this is a great read-I would recommend the other volumes as well, I'm really looking forward to the next volume!

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb translations. A shame to decontextualize The Libation Bearers, but it's interesting to read it alongside two other versions of the story. The last two plays, Euripides' Electra and The Trojan Women, are definitely the highlights.

[moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

richard lattimore i love u anne carson i love u. v interesting to see how each tragedian tells the story of electra/that middle ish portion of the oresteia. euripides electra is so curious … i’m gonna let her swim in my brain for a bit… i love the trojan women with all my being

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see how all three authors told the same story of Electra and Orestes. My favourite from this volume was probably Iphigenia in Tauris.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t quite finish the last play, “The Trojan Women”, but did enjoy the others.

[Gage Hoefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Sophocles, love Euripides, but I was left a bit cold by Aeschylus. At first I thought it might have been the translation, but the other Lattimore translation was great.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trojan women was really depressing. Electra was hard to like, too, bc everyone was terrible. Other than that, these were tops.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

آشیل یا آخیلوس (متولد 525 قبل از میلاد) اولین از سه تراژدی نویس مشهور یونان (آشیل، اوری پید، سوفوکلس) بوده که به پدر ترازدی هم مشهور است. ارسطو می نویسد که او شمار شخصیت های تراژدی را از یک نفر به دو نفر افزایش داد. تنها هفت تراژدی از حدود نود اثر او بر جای مانده، که در مورد یکی از آنها، "پرومته در زنجیر"، تردید وجود دارد. آشیل اهل آتن بوده و گویا در جنگ "سالامیس" (بین پارس و یونان) شرکت داشته و حدود 450 سال پیش از میلاد فوت کرده است. گفته می شود که بر سنگ قبرش نوشته اند؛ "آخیلوس اهل آتن، زیر این سنگ خفته. خاک مقدس ماراتن و سربازان بلند گیسوی ماد (پارس) که طعم دلاوری او را چشیده اند، بر جنگ آوری او شهادت می دهند".

اوری پید (480 تا 406 پیش از میلاد) در میان سه تراژدی نویس مشهور یونان، جوان ترین آنهاست. او حدود نود و پنج تراژدی و کمدی نوشته که تنها هژده تای آنها باقی مانده است. مده آی او که تصور می کنم توسط ابوالحسن ونده ور به فارسی برگردانده شده، شاید تنها تراژدی اوری پید باشد که به زبان فارسی ترجمه شده. ویژگی کار اوری پید استفاده از شخصیت های معمولی ست. استفاده از شکل جعبه ای صحنه ی تیاتر (بر خلاف صحنه ی دایره وار یونانی در وسط تماشاگران) را به اوری پید نسبت می دهند، جعبه ی سه دیواره ای که تا دوران معاصر، توسط شکسپیر، راسین، ایبسن، استریندبرگ و تا دوران معاصر بکار گرفته می شد. ویژگی دیگر آثار اوری پید، علاقه و همدردی او نسبت به شخصیت هاست، به ویژه زنان، به گونه ای که در همان زمان هم برای تماشاگران مرد، حیرت انگیز می نمود، مورد توجه اوری پید بوده اند. به همین دلیل "مده آ" یکی از تراژدی های او، از مشهورترین و در عین حال زیباترین شاهکارهای تراژدی دنیاست.

سوفوکلس (497 پیش از میلاد) مشهورترین از سه تراژدی نویس بزرگ عهد باستان یونان، صد و بیست سه نمایش نامه نوشته که تنها هفت تای آنها باقی مانده است؛ سه گانه ی اودیپ شاه، اودیپ در کلنوس، و آنتیگون، زنان تراخیس، الکترا، آژاکس و فیلوکتتس. بی تردید ادیپوس شاه و آنتیگون، دو اثر برجسته ی سوفوکلس، از والاترین تراژدی های یونان باستان اند که همراه با ادیپوس در کلنوس، به سه گانه ی "تب" یا "نمایش نامه های تب" مشهور اند. نوشته اند که سوفوکلس تعداد بازیگران را که اوری پید به دو رسانده بود، به سه شخصیت (بغیر از دسته ی کر) ارتقاء داده است.

[Eliza Fitzgerald]

Trojan Women only. Very sad story.

[Sascha · Rating 5 out of 5]

tragic :( but i liked having multiple versions of the same play bc its fun to see the small differences between them!! loved electra i had been looking for a copy of it for a while, and i had already read the trojan women but it was a good reread ! good vibes (aside from the tragedies)

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually I am reading the University of Chicago translation but I already have the volume marked as 'read' due to The Bacchae


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What a bizarre take on the Electra story. There are elements of what is to come in the Aeschylus telling, but the action in this Electra is very earth-bound and intensely mundane. The murders of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra are not couched in the epic diction of the other tragedians. Electra's situation is homespun and not tragic like in Sophocles or even Hoffmannsthal.

The bizarre take on legend that you would expect from Euripides.

[Bill V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. All the plays are short reads without too many characters. It's good to see that Greek mythology has contradictions and inconsistencies. The best example of this would be Odysseus, who is depicted as noble, clever, valorous and brave in the Odyssey yet cruel in The Trojan Women play. Even within the collection, characters such as Orestes have some differences in what they do or say.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love greek myths, its like a soap opera but with singing choruses.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished "The Libation Bearers", on to the "Eumenides".

I don't think I ever want to reread "The Trojan women" again. It's just really very upsetting.

[Andy Biggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

five plays

Aeschylus: The Libation Bearers
Sophocles: Electra
Euripides: Iphigenia in Tauris
Euripides: Electra
Euripides: The Trojan Women

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sticking with the on-line Ian Johnston translation of the Oreistia, in this case The Libation Bearers.... It was short and quick; direct. Definitely a middle to a story.

[Calvin]

Took me a bit too get through them, even in translation it was difficult to understand at point. Probably because there were really characters and the chorus had most of the lines

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

good translations