Aeschylus: Persians

Rosenbloom, David

ISBN 10: 0715632868 / ISBN 13: 9780715632864

Published by Gerald Duckworth, London, 2006

About this Item

2006. 224pp. Maps. "Aeschylus' Persians is the earliest extant Greek tragedy and sole surviving historical tragedy. Produced in 472 BC, the play tells the story of the defeat of the Persian king Xerxes in his attempt to expand his empire by conquering Greece and his return in rags to Persia to face the condemnation of his elders. The first product of the Western imagination to represent the causes and limits of imperialist conquest, the Persians is particularly relevant today. The play is rich in verbal and visual imagery and unflinching in its depiction of the horrors of a defeated invasion and the glory of a successful defence. But the Persians is not merely a paean to Western freedom, democracy, courage and technological supremacy; it is a meditation on the tendency inherent in wealth, power and success to take on a momentum of their own and to push societies to the brink of ruin. This companion to the play provides historical context, thematic discussion, literary and performance history, bibliography and glossary. It is entirely accessible to those studying the play in translation as well as the original Greek." Excellent condition with no inscriptions.

Seller Inventory # ClassAesch18

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Aeschylus: Persians
• Publisher: Gerald Duckworth, London
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0715632868
• ISBN 13: 9780715632864
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Very Good Plus
• Seller catalogs:
  • Ancient History/Classical

About this title

Synopsis

Aeschylus' Persians is the earliest extant Greek tragedy and sole surviving historical tragedy. Produced in 472 Bc, the play tells the story of the defeat of the Persian king Xerxes in his attempt to expand his empire by conquering Greece and his return in rags to Persia to face the condemnation of his elders. The first product of the Western imagination to represent the causes and limits of imperialist conquest, the Persians is particularly relevant today. The play is rich in verbal and visual imagery and unflinching in its depiction of the horrors of a defeated invasion and the glory of a successful defence. But the Persians is not merely a paean to Western freedom, democracy, courage and technological supremacy; it is a meditation on the tendency inherent in wealth, power and success to take on a momentum of their own and to push societies to the brink of ruin.

This companion to the play provides historical context, thematic discussion, literary and performance history, bibliography and glossary. It is entirely accessible to those studying the play in translation as well as the original Greek.

About the Author

David Rosenbloom is Senior Lecturer in Classics at Victoria University of Wellington. He has published on Greek tragedy, comedy, history and oratory and has been a Junior Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies and visiting Professor at Princeton University.