Aeschylus' Persians is unique in being the only extant Greek tragedy on an historical subject: Greece's victory in 480 BC over the great Persian King, Xerxes, eight years before the play was written and first performed in 472 BC. Looking at Persians examines how Aeschylus responded to such a turning point in Athenian history and how his audience may have reacted to his play. As well as considering the play's relationship with earlier lost tragedies and discussing its central themes, including war, nature and the value of human life, the volume considers how Persians may have been staged in fifth-century Athens and how it has been performed today. The twelve essays presented here are written by prominent international academics and offer insightful analyses of the play from the perspectives of performance, history and society. Intended for readers ranging from school students and undergraduates to teachers and those interested in drama (including practitioners), this volume also includes an accurate, accessible and performance-friendly English translation of Persians by David Stuttard.

A rigorously and imaginatively researched anthology of classical literature, bringing together one hundred stories from the rich diversity of the literary canon of ancient Greece and Rome. Striking a balance between the 'classic classic' (such as Dryden's translation of the Aeneid) and the less familiar or expected, Of Gods and Men ranges from the epic poetry of Homer to the histories of Arrian and Diodorus Siculus and the sprawling Theogony of Hesiod; from the tragedies of Aeschylus and Euripides to the biographies of Suetonius and Plutarch and the pen portraits of Theophrastus; and from the comedies of Plautus to the fictions of Petronius and Apuleius. Of Gods and Men is embellished by translations from writers as diverse as Queen Elizabeth I (Boethius), Percy Bysshe Shelley (Plato), Walter Pater (Apuleius's Golden Ass), Lawrence of Arabia (Homer's Odyssey), Louis MacNeice (Aeschylus's Agamemnon) and Ted Hughes (Ovid's Pygmalion), as well as a number of accomplished translations by Daisy Dunn herself.

In a much-needed comprehensive introduction to Silius Italicus and the Punica, Jacobs offers an invitation to students and scholars alike to read the epic as a thoughtful and considered treatment of Rome's past, present, and (perilous) future. The Second Punic War marked a turning point in world history: Rome faced her greatest external threat in the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal, and her victory led to her domination of the Mediterranean. Lingering memories of the conflict played a pivotal role in the city's transition from Republic to Empire, from foreign war to civil war. Looking back after the events of AD 69, the senator-poet Silius Italicus identified the Second Punic War as the turning point in Rome's history through his Punica. After introductory chapters for those new to the poet and his poem, Jacobs' close reading of the epic narrative guides students and scholars alike through the Punica. All Greek and Latin passages are translated to ensure accessibility for those reading in English. Far more than simply a retelling of Rome's greatest triumph, the Punica challenges its reader to make sense of the Second Punic War in light of its full impact on the subsequent course of the city's history.

This Is a Classic illuminates the overlooked networks that contribute to the making of literary classics through the voices of multiple translators, without whom writers would have a difficult time reaching a global audience. It presents the work of some of today's most accomplished literary translators who translate classics into English or who work closely with translation in the US context and magnifies translators' knowledge, skills, creativity, and relationships with the literary texts they translate, the authors whose works they translate, and the translations they make. The volume presents translators' expertise and insight on how classics get defined according to language pairs and contexts. It advocates for careful attention to the role of translation and translators in reading choices and practices, especially regarding literary classics.

Oedipus Tyrannus by the great tragedian Sophocles is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek literature. The play has always been admired for the tight unity of its plot; every bit of every scene counts towards the dramatic effect. The action is concentrated into a single day in Oedipus' life; his heinous crimes of unwittingly killing his father and marrying his mother all lie long ago in the past, and now, in the action of this one day, there awaits for him only the discovery of the truth. Oedipus is portrayed as a noble king, deeply devoted to his people and they to him. Proud of his earlier defeat of the Sphinx, he is determined to save his city once again, and he unflinchingly pursues the truth of who he is and what he has done, unaware that it will bring him to disaster. The spectators, familiar with Oedipus' story, wait in horrified suspense for that terrible moment of realisation to arrive. And when it does, Oedipus survives it: he takes full responsibility for what he has done, accepts the grief and the pain, and carries on, remaining indomitable to the end. Sophocles gives no answer as to why Oedipus is made to suffer his tragic fate. He simply shows us how human life is; how even a great and good man can be brought to the utmost misery through no fault of his own. The gods may, for no apparent reason, deal out unbelievable suffering, but humankind can survive it. Jenny March's new facing-page translation brings alive the power and complexities of Sophocles' writing, with a substantial introduction and a detailed commentary.

This is the first large-scale edition with introduction and commentary of Pindar's First Pythian Ode. Composed for Hieron of Syracuse to mark his Delphic chariot victory of 470 BC and his recent foundation of the city of Aetna, the poem is not only a literary masterpiece, but also of central importance for our understanding of Greek history and culture in the early fifth century BC. As our only contemporary written source for the Sicilian Wars against the Carthaginians and Etruscans, it stands on a level with Simonides' Plataea Elegy and Aeschylus' Persians on the Persian Wars. This is a period where epoch-making Greek victories in the east and west were celebrated by the greatest poets in a way that reveals much about the atmosphere in which their works were created and received. The book offers a new edition of the text with a detailed introduction and commentary, which discuss textual problems, language, metre and transmission as well as a variety of literary questions, the historical background and the early performance and reception history of the ode. It will be of interest to scholars and students of archaic and classical Greek poetry and of Greek history of the early fifth century BC.

The newest deluxe edition in the bestselling Capstone Classics Series

This ancient classic has had a make-over. In recent years these Capstone Classic deluxe editions have caught the book buying public's imagination. The volumes of international bestsellers such as Think and Grow Rich and The Art of War have quickly become the market leaders. Now Plato's best known work, one of the most intellectually and historically influential works of philosophy and political theory, has been brought to life in this luxury, hardback, keep-sake edition.

This edition includes: Plato's plans for a perfect society characterised by a blend of wisdom, courage, self-discipline and justiceLessons to learn about living according to eternal truths, instead of existing simply for survival and pleasureA new introduction by Tom Butler Bowdon, the classic personal development expert

An epic tale of a glory rediscovered in ancient Egypt, has been brought vividly to life by bringing it down to a raw, human scale for the stage. The struggle of the ruling class of the Eighteenth Dynasty pitted against an occupying force, is told in grand scale in The New Kingdom, a new play from Emmanuel Paul.

It is 1540 BC and Egypt is divided. In the years following the invasion of the Hyksos, a band of nomadic warriors with a base in Palestine, nothing is certain. The Pharoahs have been displaced to Thebes from their once impregnable capital in Avaris and for more than a century the Hyksos now control the north of Egypt. Decades of war are replaced by decades of peace, and the people are weary.

The Thebans have rested all hope for the restoration of their former power on the narrow shoulders of the young Ahmosis, who has seen his father and brother murdered by their enemies. The young pharaoh now shares power with his mother Aahotep, who will stop at nothing to see her surviving son grow into a great leader.

Under his rule, Egypt will finally be freed from its invaders and become united again. Ahmosis must now fight a growing religious uprising if he hopes to bring Kush the glory it once knew and bringabout an era of unequaled prosperity and peace.

Die Bibliotheca Teubneriana, gegrundet 1849, ist die weltweit alteste, traditionsreichste und umfangreichste Editionsreihe griechischer und lateinischer Literatur von der Antike bis zur Neuzeit. Pro Jahr erscheinen 4-5 neue Editionen. Samtliche Ausgaben werden durch eine lateinische oder englische Praefatio erganzt. Die wissenschaftliche Betreuung der Reihe obliegt einem Team anerkannter Philologen: Gian Biagio Conte (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa) Marcus Deufert (Universitat Leipzig) James Diggle (University of Cambridge) Donald J. Mastronarde (University of California, Berkeley) Franco Montanari (Universita di Genova) Heinz-Gunther Nesselrath (Georg-August-Universitat Goettingen) Dirk Obbink (University of Oxford) Oliver Primavesi (Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat Munchen) Michael D. Reeve (University of Cambridge) Richard J. Tarrant (Harvard University) Vergriffene Titel werden als Print-on-Demand-Nachdrucke wieder verfugbar gemacht. Zudem werden alle Neuerscheinungen der Bibliotheca Teubneriana parallel zur gedruckten Ausgabe auch als eBook angeboten. Die alteren Bande werden sukzessive ebenfalls als eBook bereitgestellt. Falls Sie einen vergriffenen Titel bestellen moechten, der noch nicht als Print-on-Demand angeboten wird, schreiben Sie uns an: [email protected] Samtliche in der Bibliotheca Teubneriana erschienenen Editionen lateinischer Texte sind in der Datenbank BTL Online elektronisch verfugbar.

From the perspective of the townspeople and the queen, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon follows the emotional journey of grief, rage, and revenge. Agamemnon had dedicated much of his life to a war that his brother started. He vowed to do whatever it takes to win-committing war crimes and killing innocents. But, even in victory, Agamemnon feels unsatisfied and plagued by the bloodshed he caused. Because of this, he decides to perform a ritual to clear his conscience and regain the gods' approval. After he fought for ten years in the Trojan war, Clytemnestra eagerly awaited the return of her husband, King Agamemnon. However, upon his arrival, she learns that he has sacrificed one of her loved ones to the gods, in order to win their favor. Though Agamemnon expressed slight remorse, he felt resolute in his actions, as he viewed the sacrifice as a necessity. Already devastated, Clytemnestra is driven to pure rage when she finds that Agamemnon also brought back a "spoil of war", Cassandra, a Trojan princess and prophetess, who has been punished by the god Apollo for refusing his advances. Though she is able to see the future, she is cursed to be never believed. Considered as Agamemnon's war prize, Cassandra is trapped in the kingdom, especially hopeless when she receives a vision of unescapable doom. Meanwhile, as Clytemnestra settles in her grief and rage, she creates a plot for vengeance, and much like her husband at war, is unconcerned about any collateral damage. As the first installment of the sole surviving Greek trilogy, Agamemnon is both a stand-alone piece and a compliment to later plays. With symbolism and precise prose, Agamemnon by Aeschylus depicts the consequences of warfare-both abroad and domestic. Featuring strong, dynamic, and well-developed characters and an emotional, dramatic plot, Agamemnon is an enthralling perspective on the fates of famous heroes from Greek mythology. This edition of Aeschylus' acclaimed tragedy, Agamemnon features a new, eye-catching cover and is reprinted in a modern, readable font. With these accommodations, contemporary readers are encouraged to revisit this classic and enthralling tale of revenge.

Composed towards the end of the first century CE, Statius' Thebaid relates the myth of the 'Seven against Thebes': the assault of the seven champions of Argos on the ancient city in a bid to oust Eteocles, son of Oedipus, from his throne in favour of his brother, Polynices. Book 2 presents several key events in the build-up to the Theban war: Eteocles' haunting by the ghost of his grandfather Laius, the ill-omened weddings of Polynices and his ally Tydeus to the princesses of Argos, and Tydeus' failed embassy to Eteocles, leading to his famed victory over a Theban ambush. This volume represents the first full-length scholarly commentary in English on Book 2 of the twelve-book Latin epic, greatly expanding on and updating Mulder's 1954 Latin language commentary. An extensive introduction covers the poem's historical, textual, and literary contexts, with particular attention to Statius' adaptation of prior literary tradition and especially the epics of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Lucan, Valerius Flaccus, and Silius Italicus. The Latin text, accompanied by a clear translation and apparatus criticus, is newly edited to take advantage of the recent detailed editorial work on the poem by Hall, Ritchie, and Edwards and is supplemented by a comprehensive and incisive line-by-line commentary which addresses a range of textual, linguistic, and literary topics. The result is a keenly focused yet accessible critical edition that will be of interest both to specialist scholars of Latin poetry and to advanced graduate students studying Flavian epic.

Meric Casaubon's famous 1634 translation of Meditations was the first English version of the Stoic masterwork to be reprinted many times because of its widespread popularity. The Shakespearean language has been called difficult by modern standards but the poetic Elizabethan prose greatly enhances this deeply spiritual work. Aurelius is no less eloquent or articulate than in later versions and the power of his thoughts and ideas are beautifully conveyed.

Adespota Papyracea Hexametra Graeca provides a comprehensive corpus of 'anonymous' hexameter texts on papyri, parchments, ostraca and tablets that have appeared in the current and past two centuries. The project has three main objectives: i) to retrieve and determine how many and what type of unidentified hexameter poems reached us via Egyptian papyri; ii) to restore a readable and reliable text for these poems, providing straightforward access to material that has been hard-to-reach in print format, is still unavailable online, or has not been previously translated into English or any other modern language; iii) to discuss, insofar as the fragmentary state of the evidence allows, issues of style, metre, and attribution. Overall, it aspires to serve as a fresh and solid starting-point for future assessment of Greek poetry in Egypt from the Archaic period to Late Antiquity. This first volume of papyrus adespota contains: i) a catalogue of hexameter adespota, and ii) critical editions with English translation and commentary of: cosmologies and foundation poems (no. 01-06), astronomical and astrological texts (07-12), didactic and technical poetry (13-16), hymns (17-32), fragments of erotic content (33-38); epithalamia (39-43); and two hexameter anthologies, the Goodspeed papyrus (44) and the so-called Pamprepius codex (45). Future volumes will contain: Encomia and Lamentations (46-67); Bucolic (68-71), and Epic poetry (72-144); assemblages of Homeric verses (145-154); magical verses (155-166); oracles (167-169); fragments of uncertain genre or content (170-204); hexameter quotes from grammatical papyri and ancient commentaries (205-216); (217-219); gnomic hexameters (220-221); pangrams (222-235); texts copied or produced within a school context (236-242).

This book explores the concept of displacement in the fiction produced by the Chilean writer Isabel Allende between 1982 and 2000. Displacement, understood in the author's analysis to encompass social, geographical, linguistic and cultural phenomena, is argued to play a consistently central role in Allende's fictional output of this period. Close readings of Allende's texts illustrate the abiding importance of displacement and reconcile two apparently contradictory trends in her writing: as the settings of her fiction have become more international, questions of individual identity have gained in importance. This discussion employs displacement as a means of engaging with critical debates both on Allende's individual texts and on her status as an original writer. After examining in detail the seven works of fiction written by Allende during this period, the book concludes with reflections on the general trajectory of her work in this genre.

Composed at the end of the first century CE, Statius' Thebaid recounts the civil war in Thebes between the two sons of Oedipus, Polynices and Eteocles, and the horrific events that take place on the battlefield. Its author, the Roman poet Statius, employed a wide variety of Greco-Roman sources in order to narrate the Argive expedition against Thebes and the fratricidal war. Book 8 opens with the descent of the Argive seer Amphiaraus to the Underworld through a chasm of the earth; the soldiers mourn their seer's loss and elect a successor, Thiodamas, who placates Earth (Tellus) through a prayer, before the opening of the second day of hostilities. The book reaches its climax when fierce Tydeus is mortally wounded and dies having committed an act of cannibalism by eating his opponent's brains; Minerva leaves the battlefield in disgust, taking away from her protege the intended gift of immortality. In this volume, Augoustakis presents the first full-length edition of Thebaid 8, with text and apparatus criticus, and an English translation. A detailed introduction discusses the Argive/Theban myth in the Greek and Roman literary tradition and art, as well as the reception of the book in subsequent centuries, especially in Dante's Divine Comedy. The accompanying commentary provides useful notes which explore questions of interpretation and Statius' language and literary craft, with particular emphasis on the exploitation of various Greek and Latin intertexts in Statius' poetry.

Many scholars today believe that early Greek literature, as represented by the great poems of Homer and Hesiod, was to some extent inspired by texts from the neighbouring civilizations of the ancient Near East, especially Mesopotamia. It is true that, in the case of religious poetry, early Greek poets sang about their gods in ways that resemble those of Sumerian or Akkadian hymns from Mesopotamia, but does this mean that the latter influenced the former, and if so, how? This volume is the first to attempt an answer to these questions by undertaking a detailed study of the ancient texts in their original languages, from Sumerian poetry in the 20th century BC to Greek sources from the times of Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, and Aeschylus. The Gods Rich in Praise presents the core groups of sources from the ancient Near East, describing the main features of style and content of Sumerian and Akkadian religious poetry, and showing how certain compositions were translated and adapted beyond Mesopotamia. It proceeds by comparing selected elements of form and content: hymnic openings, negative predication, the birth of Aphrodite in the Theogony of Hesiod, and the origins and development of a phrase in Hittite prayers and the Iliad of Homer. The volume concludes that, in terms of form and style, early Greek religious poetry was probably not indebted to ancient Near Eastern models, but also argues that such influence may nevertheless be perceived in certain closely defined instances, particularly where supplementary evidence from other ancient sources is available, and where the extant sources permit a reconstruction of the process of translation and adaptation.