Greek Tragedy

‘Man must suffer to be wise’

The fifth century BC saw the fullest flowering of art, literature and philosophy in ancient Athens, and this major new selection brings the masterpieces of the great tragedians of that era – Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides – together in one volume. Powerful and devastating, they depict complex characters locked in brutal conflict both with others and themselves in situations that offer no simple solutions. Through the revenge-murder in Agamemnon, the hideous family secret revealed in Oedipus Rex, and a mother’s slaughter of her children in Medea, we see the wrenching dilemmas of humans living in a morally uncertain world. This volume also includes extracts from Aristophanes’ comedy The Frogs – a comic satire on tragic playwrights – and a selection from Aristotle’s masterful Poetics, which presents a philosophical discussion of Greek tragedy.

Simon Goldhill’s introduction illuminates the plays’ cultural background and place in ritual ceremony, and illustrates their lasting effect on the Western imagination. This edition includes a preface, chronology, further reading and detailed notes on each work, while genealogical tables clarify the complex legends behind each tragedy.

Preface to Agamemnon
Agamemnon by Aeschylus

Preface to Oedipus Rex
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

Preface to Medea
Medea by Euripides

Preface to Frogs
Extracts from Frogs by Aristophanes

Preface to Poetics
Extracts from Poetics by Aristotle

Notes
Genealogical Tables
Map of Ancient Greece