Greek Literature in Translation

Filter
Set Descending Direction

60 items

Page
per page
View as List Grid
  1. Acharnians (Second Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    "Henderson has a real gift for capturing Aristophanes' voice, and does not hesitate to leap totally over the top, just like his author."
          —New England Classical Journal

    Learn More
  2. Acharnians, Lysistrata, Clouds

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    This anthology offers English translations of three of Aristophanes' greatest comedies, Acharnians, Clouds, and Lysistrata, by Jeffrey Henderson, one of the most important scholars and translators of Greek comedy. Each comedy is also available in a single-play edition from Hackett Publishing's Focus imprint. Learn More
  3. Aeneid (Krisak Edition)

    Virgil
    Translated by Len Krisak
    Introduction and Notes by Christopher M. McDonough

    Rising to the challenge of rendering the poem's Latin hexameters by adopting English iambic ones, Len Krisak's Aeneid doubles down on the English poetic tradition by also featuring rhyme. In Krisak's hands, these devices provide not only a superb kind of music but the snap and power of an epic adventure that glories in what only formal poetry can do. Enhanced by an Introduction and an extensive set of notes by Christopher M. McDonough, this Aeneid works as story, voice, and verse.

    "Virgil’s Aeneid, though central to the Western canon, is also one of the most difficult to tackle for the translator, with its knotty syntax, its famously 'pious' protagonist, and its slippery ambivalence toward questions of truth and power. In this fresh translation, Len Krisak not only boldly meets Virgil line-for-line, but in a hexameter that answers the original meter, all while hewing to straightforward English with a weather eye on the Latin. The six-beat line has a reputation in English for dragging, but Krisak's hexameters drive along briskly. His choice to rhyme throughout, sometimes chiming ingeniously and sometimes with subtler off-rhyme effects, brings home that we are reading not only an epic narrative, but a verse performance. This work, concerned with human displacement in the aftermath of a prolonged war, with its themes of personal responsibility, duty, and leadership, and imbued with anxiety about the direction of a nation, could not be more topical." —A. E. Stallings

    Learn More
  4. Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus

    Euripides
    Translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien
    Introduction and Notes by Robin Mitchell-Boyask

    This new volume of three of Euripides' most celebrated plays offers graceful, economical, metrical translations that convey the wide range of effects of the playwright's verse, from the idiomatic speech of its dialogue to the high formality of its choral odes.

    "Many scholars translate the works of Euripides as they should be, but Diane Arnson Svarlien translates them as they are. . . . Arnson Svarlien shows admirable modesty and restraint in avoiding . . . pitfalls, and makes choices that reveal the meaning of the text she is translating with the least imposition of her own personality.  The ambiguity of Euripides is transmitted to us but not imposed on us by [her] translation. . . . The translations are both readable and playable." —Edmond Chibeau, New England Theatre Journal 

    Learn More
  5. Andromache, Hecuba, Trojan Women

    Euripides
    Translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien
    Introduction and Notes by Ruth Scodel

    Diane Arnson Svarlien’s translation of Euripides’ Andromache, Hecuba, and Trojan Women exhibits the same scholarly and poetic standards that have won praise for her Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus. Ruth Scodel’s Introduction examines the cultural and political context in which Euripides wrote, and provides analysis of the themes, structure, and characters of the plays included. Her notes offer expert guidance to readers encountering these works for the first time.

    Includes the unabridged text of Diane Arnson Svarlien's Hecuba, a translation featured in Patrick Wang's critically acclaimed film, A Bread Factory.

    "Wang tracks a scene from a Bread Factory production of Hecuba from an uncertain rehearsal, to a breakthrough for its actors, to a searching discussion of the text and the characters, to a final performance so thrilling that I found myself wishing, while watching, that Wang would just shoot the whole play. Happily, he lets this Hecuba keep going." —Alan Scherstuhl, LA Weekly

    To see Patrick Wang's article "Hecuba: A Film Record" in Didaskalia, click here. To see clips from the Arnson Svarlien Hecuba featured in A Bread Factory, click here.

    Learn More
  6. Anthology of Classical Myth (Second Edition)

    Edited and Translated by Stephen M. Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, and Stephen Brunet, with an Appendix on Linear B Sources by Thomas G. Palaima

    This new edition of Anthology of Classical Myth offers selections from key Near Eastern texts—the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Epic of Creation (Enuma Elish), and Atrahasis; the Hittite Song of Emergence; and the flood story from the book of Genesis—thereby enabling students to explore the many similarities between ancient Greek and Mesopotamian mythology and enhancing its reputation as the best and most complete collection of its kind. Click here to see the full Table of Contents (PDF) for Anthology of Classical Myth (Second Edition).

    Learn More
  7. Antigone (Blondell Edition)

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Essay, by Ruby Blondell

    "In her new translation of Antigone, Ruby Blondell demonstrates an unswerving sense of what the general reader needs to know in order not only to understand Sophocles, but to relish him as well… My own students have found that this edition not only makes the Antigone accessible, but also helps them understand why it continues to fascinate, to disturb, and to grip its readers century by century." —John T. Kirby, Comparative Literature, Purdue University

    Learn More
  8. Antigone (Woodruff Edition)

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Paul Woodruff

    "A lucid, well-paced translation, natural enough sounding in the dialogue to make a good acting version, and remarkably successful in making the choruses clear, lyrical, and yet part of the dramatic movement. Woodruff’s rendering of the choruses especially impresses me by the way he manages to render complex syntax and imagery of the original—often tangled and occasionally obscure in its allusiveness—into clear and genuinely poetic English." —Joseph Russo, Haverford College

    Learn More
  9. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae

    Apollodorus & Hyginus
    Translated, with Introduction, by Stephen M. Trzaskoma & R. Scott Smith

    "To refer to this volume as just a translation is misleading, because Smith and Trzaskoma have provided much more, most notably the best short introduction to ancient mythography—and these particular authors—available in English. . . . The translations themselves are clear and accurate.  [An] admirable volume.  Smith and Trzaskoma are to be commended."
         —Kris Fletcher, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    Learn More
  10. Aristophanes 1: Clouds, Wasps, Birds

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Notes, by Peter Meineck
    Introduction by Ian C. Storey

    Originally adapted for the stage, Peter Meineck’s revised translations achieve a level of fidelity appropriate for classroom use while managing to preserve the wit and energy that led The New Yorker to judge his Clouds “The best Greek drama we’ve ever seen anywhere,” and The Times Literary Supplement to describe his Wasps as “Hugely enjoyable and very, very funny.” A general Introduction, introductions to the plays, and detailed notes on staging, history, religious practice and myth combine to make this a remarkably useful teaching text.

    Learn More
  11. Aristophanes and Menander: Three Comedies

    Translated by Douglass Parker
    Edited, with Introductions and Notes, by Timothy J. Moore

    "No one, but no one, ever translated ancient comedy like Douglass Parker, and his death left a chasm in the landscape. This posthumous publication of three of Greek theatre's wildest plays, edited and presented by a scholar as eminent and learned as Timothy Moore, is not just something to welcome, it is something to celebrate."
         —William Levitan, Grand Valley State University

    Learn More
  12. Aristophanes: Frogs (Meineck Edition)

    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Peter Meineck

    Aristophanes's classic send-up of rivalry within the ultra-competitive world of fifth-century Athenian theatre wins a new lease on life in this fresh line-for-line translation by Peter Meineck. Premiered in 2021 by Aquila Theatre and accompanied here by Meineck’s notes and wide-ranging Introduction, this Frogs offers the best view yet of a high-stakes afterlife contest between two of Athens's late great playwrights. Both are undisputed masters of tragedy. But only one can win and return to save the city.

    "Peter Meineck draws on his vast experience as both theatre producer and classical scholar in this lively and thoroughly contemporary translation of Aristophanes's rambunctious but heady Frogs. In highlighting Aristophanes's own concern for spectacle, stage action, and musicality, Meineck offers flexible guidance not only for modern producers of this comedy but also for readers eager to visualize an Aristophanic play in its original setting and to marvel at its enduring comic brilliance." —Ralph M. Rosen, Vartan Gregorian Professor of the Humanities and Classical Studies, University of Pennsylvania

    Learn More
  13. Bacchae (Esposito Edition)

    Euripides
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Stephen Esposito

    English translation, with introductory material, notes, glossary and essay by Stephen Esposito, of Euripides' tragedy based on the mythological story of King Pentheus of Thebes.

    Learn More
  14. Bacchae (Woodruff Edition)

    Euripides
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Paul Woodruff

    "[Woodruff’s translation] is clear, fluent, and vigorous, well thought out, readable and forceful. The rhythms are right, ever-present but not too insistent or obvious. It can be spoken instead of read and so is viable as an acting version; and it keeps the lines of the plot well focused. The Introduction offers a good survey of critical approaches. The notes at the foot of the page are suitably brief and nonintrusive and give basic information for the non-specialist."
         —Charles Segal, Harvard University

    Learn More
  15. Clouds (Henderson Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    Jeffrey Henderson, noted Greek scholar, has translated into English one of Aristophanes' greatest comedies. Offered with detailed notes and an enlightening introduction, this modern translation brings to life the wit and elegance of the language while putting the text in historical and cultural context.

    Learn More
  16. Clouds (Meineck Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Notes, by Peter Meineck
    Introduction by Ian C. Storey

    "Since the appearance of Sommerstein’s very successful literal translation less than twenty years ago, there have been at least five further new published attempts at rendering the play into English. It is certainly a bold enterprise to introduce yet one more translation onto the scene, but Peter Meineck has risen well to the challenge. The translation is straightforward and idiomatic, as well as well-paced and funny. . . Ian Storey’s Introduction is perfect for undergraduates.” —Max Nelson, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    Learn More
  17. Complete Poems and Fragments

    Sappho
    Translated by Stanley Lombardo
    Introduction by Pamela Gordon

    "In this expanded edition of his distinguished Sappho: Poems and Fragments (2002), Stanley Lombardo offers over 100 fragments not included in the original edition, as well as the new poems discovered in 2004 and 2014. His translation of this latter material yields fresh insights into Sappho’s representations of old age, two of her brothers, and her special relationship with Aphrodite. Pamela Gordon’s engaging, balanced, and informative Introduction has been revised to incorporate discussion of the new fragments, which subtly alter our previous understanding of the archaic poet’s corpus. Complete Poems and Fragments also offers a useful updated bibliography, as well as a section on ‘Elegiac Sappho’ that presents the reception of the Lesbian poet in later Greek and Latin elegiac poems. A wonderful find for any Greekless reader searching for a complete and up-to-date Sappho."
         —Patricia A. Rosenmeyer, Department of Classics, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Learn More
  18. Electra

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Hanna M. Roisman

    This is an English translation of Sophocles' tragedy of Electra, and the vengeance that she and her brother Orestes take on their mother and step father for the murder of their father. This edition also includes an "afterlife" essay that discusses adaptations of the play, as well as touches on other ways Electra has had influence (Jung's identification of the Electra Complex, O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra). Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture.

    Learn More
  19. Electra, Phoenician Women, Bacchae, & Iphigenia at Aulis

    Euripides
    Translated, with Notes, by Cecelia Eaton Luschnig and Paul Woodruff, Introduction by Cecelia Eaton Luschnig

    The four late plays of Euripides collected here, in beautifully crafted translations by Cecelia Eaton Luschnig and Paul Woodruff, offer a faithful and dynamic representation of the playwright’s mature vision.

    Learn More
  20. Empire and the Ends of Politics

    Plato
    Translated, with Introduction and Glossary, by Susan Collins and Devin Stauffer

    This text brings together for the first time two complete key works from classical antiquity on the politics of Athens: Plato's Menexenus and Pericles' Funeral Oration (from Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War).

    Learn More
  21. Frogs (Henderson Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    "Overall . . . I find this translation of the Frogs to be entertaining and very readable. Furthermore, Henderson's comprehensive introduction makes this translation quite useful for general readers or students at any level." —Erin K. Moodie, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    Learn More
  22. Hecuba

    Euripides
    Translated, with Introduction and Commentary, by Robin Mitchell-Boyask

    Euripides Hecuba is one of the few tragedies that evoke a sense of utter desolation and destruction in the audience. The drama focuses on the status of women, those who are out of power and at the margins of society, by enacting the sufferings of Hecuba. With the city of Troy fallen, Hecuba and Polyxena, her daughter, are enslaved to Agamemnon. Hecuba is despondent with the news that Polyxena is chosen to be sacrificed at the tomb of Achilles. After the sacrifice, the body of her son Polydorus, already a ghost at the start of the drama, is discovered. Polymestor, a king in Thrace who Hecuba sent Polydorus to for safety reasons, murdered Polydorus for his gold. With the tacit complicity of Agamemnon, Hecuba plots her revenge against Polymestor. What transpires next has lasting implications for all involved, including a dramatic trial scene and Hecubas ultimate metamorphosis.

    Learn More
  23. Heracles

    Euripides
    Edited by Michael Halleran

    Euripides' Heracles is an extraordinary play, innovative in its treatment of the myth, bold in its dramatic structure, and filled with affective human pathos. The play tells a tale of horror: Heracles, the greatest hero of the Greeks, is maddened by the gods to murder his wife and children. But this suffering and divine malevolence are leavened by the friendship between Heracles and Theseus, which allows the hero to survive this final and most painful labor. The Heracles raises profound questions about the gods and mortal values in a capricious and harsh world. 

    Learn More
  24. Hippolytus

    Euripides
    Translated with Notes, Introduction, and Essay by Michael R. Halleran

    No play of Euripides is more admired than Hippolytus. The tale of a married woman stirred to passion for a younger man was traditional, but Euripides modified this story and blended it with one of divine vengeance to create a masterpiece of tension, pathos, and dramatic power. In this play, Phaedra fights nobly but unsuccessfully against her desire for her stepson Hippolytus, while the young man risks his life to keep her passion secret. Both of them, constrained by the overwhelming force of divine power and human ignorance, choose to die in order to maintain their virtue and their good names.

    Learn More
  25. Homeric Hymns (Ruden Edition)

    Translated by Sarah Ruden
    Introduction and Notes by Sheila Murnaghan

    "Sarah Ruden's translation is clear, lean, intelligent, and delightfully readable. The notes provide guidance without encumbering the text. This will be marvelous for classroom use, for reading aloud, or simply for reading for pleasure."
         —Pamela Gordon, Department of Classics, University of Kansas

    Learn More
  26. Iliad

    Homer
    Translated by Stanley Lombardo
    Introduction by Sheila Murnaghan

    "Gripping. . . . Lombardo's achievement is all the more striking when you consider the difficulties of his task. . . . [He] manages to be respectful of Homer's dire spirit while providing on nearly every page some wonderfully fresh refashioning of his Greek. The result is a vivid and disarmingly hardbitten reworking of a great classic." —Daniel Mendelsohn, The New York Times Book Review

    "It is hard to overstate the attractions of this translation. In a rhythm sinewy and flexible, with language that is precise, lyrical and fresh, Lombardo's Iliad pulses with all the power and luminosity of the Greek. He shows extraordinary sensitivity to the images and aural effects of the ancient poem. There are brilliant touches on every page. . . . Altogether this is as good as Homer gets in English." —Richard P. Martin, Princeton University

    Learn More
  27. Ion, Helen, Orestes

    Euripides
    Translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien
    Introduction and Notes by Matthew Wright

    "Diane Arnson Svarlien's lively and accessible translations give an excellent sense of Euripides' poetic resources, from his artful blend of conversational idiom and high style, to his powerful displays of rhetoric and emotion, to the expressive rhythms and images of his songs. They are sure to delight readers and listeners alike. Moreover, they have been shaped by judicious use of the best and latest scholarship. The plays in this volume will surprise readers used to tragedy on the Aristotelian pattern and stimulate reflection about what tragedy is and what it is for."
         —John Gibert, Department of ClassicsUniversity of Colorado, Boulder

    Learn More
  28. King Oidipous

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Essay, by Ruby Blondell

    This is an English translation of Sophocles' famous tragedy of Oedipus and the fate he so much tries to avoid. Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture.

    Learn More
  29. Lysistrata (Henderson Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    Henderson's English translation of Lysistrata, the most popular of Aristophanes' plays, appeals to the modern reader because of its lively and imaginative plot, strong and memorable heroine, good jokes, and appeal for peace and tolerance between nations and between the sexes. Jeffery Henderson, noted Greek scholar, puts the work in historical and cultural context in his comprehensive introduction. Suggestions for further reading, notes, and map are also included.

    Learn More
  30. Lysistrata (Ruden Edition)

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction, Notes, and Commentaries, by Sarah Ruden

    "Presents a readable, clear translation with the assistance students will need to understand this play and the society that produced it. . . . A worthy addition to Hackett's growing series of translations of classical literature in accessible editions."
         —Anne Mahoney, New England Classical Journal

    Learn More
  31. Medea (Podlecki Edition)

    Euripides
    Translated, with an Introduction and Notes, by Anthony Podlecki

    English translation. Includes essays on the play's mythical background and the work of Euripides, an introduction to Greek drama and the dramatic tradition, plot summaries and suggestions for further reading. For both students and the general reader.

    Learn More
  32. Medea (Svarlien Edition)

    Euripides
    Translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien
    Introduction and Notes by Robin Mitchell-Boyask

    "This is the Medea we have been waiting for.  It offers clarity without banality, eloquence without pretension, meter without doggerel, accuracy without clumsiness.  No English Medea can ever be Euripides', but this is as close as anyone has come so far, and a good deal closer than I thought anyone would ever come.  Arnson-Svarlien has shown herself exceedingly skillful in making Euripides sound Euripidean." —David M. Schaps, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    "Fluid, lively, and accurate!" —Amy Vail, Department of Classics, Baylor University

     

    Learn More
  33. Medea, Hippolytus, Heracles, Bacchae

    Euripides
    Edited by Stephen Esposito

    Drawn from four titles in the Focus Classical Library, this anthology includes four outstanding translations of plays by Euripides as well as a general introduction, extensive footnotes, and two interpretive essays. Included are Anthony J. Podecki’s translation of Medea, Michael R. Halleran's translation of Hippolytus and Heracles and Stephen Esposito’s translation of Bacchae.

    Learn More
  34. Odysseus at Troy

    Edited by Stephen Esposito

    Odysseus at Troy is centered on the mythological Greek warrior, Odysseus, hero of the Trojan War. This book contains three plays: Sophocles' Ajax, Euripides' Hecuba, and Euripides' Trojan Women. The plays are complete, with notes and introductions for each. An additional introduction to the volume gives background on this popular theme, and on Ajax, one of the most written-about hero in Greek literature. 

    Learn More
  35. Odyssey

    Homer
    Translated by Stanley Lombardo
    Introduction by Sheila Murnaghan

    "[Lombardo] has brought his laconic wit and love of the ribald. . . . to his version of the Odyssey. His carefully honed syntax gives the narrative energy and a whirlwind pace. The lines, rhythmic and clipped, have the tautness and force of Odysseus' bow." —Chris Hedges, The New York Times Book Review

    "The definitive English version of Homer for our time." —The Common Review: The Magazine of the Great Books Foundation

    "Lombardo weaves his cherished idioms into important patterns of repetition and transformation so familiar to the telling of the Odyssey. . . . Above all, such familiar phrases serve to remind us of the oral character of the original Odyssey, providing the reader with an uncanny immediacy and relevance." —Christina Zwarg, The Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    Learn More
  36. Oedipus Tyrannus

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff

    "A clear, vigorous, spare, actable translation, and with it, excellent apparatus (Intro., notes, bibliography); all in a slim and affordable volume. I will use when I next teach Oedipus. Hackett is an invaluable resource!” —Rachel Hadas, Rutgers University

    "I have enjoyed all of the recent Hackett editions of translations of Greek literature and "Oedipus Tyrannus” is certainly no exception. Meineck and Woodruff got things just right, from employing "Tyrannus” instead of "Rex” in the title (as has become traditional, though it lends an erroneous sense to the play from the outset) to Woodruff’s very fine and accessible Introduction to the suspenseful, poetic and powerful rendering of the play itself. Meineck’s theatrical sensibility and knowledge are evident, yet the text never becomes too "stagey” nor wanders far from the Greek. I will definitely use this text along with other terrific Hackett editions in my courses." —Lisa Rengs George, Arizona State University

    Learn More
  37. Oidipous at Colonus

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Essay, by Ruby Blondell

    This is an English translation of Sophocles' tragedy of Oedipus who is banished from Thebes and confronts an array of obstacles that stand between him and the death he craves. Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture. Includes maps, essays and suggestions for further reading.

    Learn More
  38. On the Nature of Things (Englert Edition)

    Lucretius
    Translated by Walter Englert

    "Englert's translation of the poem is indeed accurate and readable. He knows the poem as thoroughly as he knows the scholarship that bears on it . . . an admirable translation, admirably supported by scholarly tools."
         —W.R. Johnson, University of Chicago

    Learn More
  39. On the Nature of Things (Smith Edition)

    Lucretius
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Martin Ferguson Smith

    "Martin Ferguson Smith has for many years been one of the leading Lucretian scholars in the world. . . . We should expect from the beginning then that we are in the hands of a wise and learned guide as soon as we open his Lucretius, and this expectation is certainly borne out by the quality of this sensitive and thoughtful edition. . . . The Introduction . . . is excellent. Smith outlines in a highly accessible manner what little is known of Lucretius' life and times, the poem's position and status in the Epic and Didactic tradition, and the philosophy of Epicurus that Lucretius puts forward, but also manages to include some of the most up to date research, including recent scholarship on the Herculaneum papyri. . . . But of course, the translation is the most important part of the work . . . [and] it is streets ahead of the competition. . . . I can recommend this book unreservedly." —Gordon Campbell, Hermathena

    Learn More
  40. Oresteia

    Aeschylus
    Translated, with Notes, by Peter Meineck
    Introduction by Helene P. Foley

    “Peter Meineck’s new rendition of the Oresteia is that rare and wonderful thing: a text accessible to the Greekless audience while still preserving the vocabulary of Aeschylus. Those of us who have seen Peter Meineck's performances have long marveled at his ability to turn Greek into clear English, how he does not do ‘versions’ of the plays, how he does not rewrite the ancients into modern jargon (even his comedies maintain more Aristophanic text than is usual). Here lines that students have always needed explicated stand clear. . . . Helene Foley has provided a fine introduction for this translation. Introduction and translation together provide an exciting text, one that should be widely read, widely used.” —Karelisa Hartigan, University of Florida, in The Classical Outlook

    Learn More
  41. Philoctetes

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff

    "Peter Meineck has given us a superbly vivid rendering of the play, informed throughout by his practical experience in the theater. His is a Philoctetes that is supremely alive, from start to finish. . . . [I]deal for classroom use. . . . accompanied by a new and thoughtful introduction from philosopher and classicist Paul Woodruff. Woodruff anchors the play in the complex web of fears and anxieties of 409 BCE, as both Sophocles' life and Athens' imperial heyday drew to a close. . . . [A]n exceptionally fine work of translation and scholarship that will go far toward demolishing dismissals of the play as inaccessible or unengaging for the modern reader. Sophocles, Meineck and Woodruff eloquently remind us, speaks to every age, not least our own."
         —Thomas R. Keith, Loyola University Chicago in CJ-Online

    Learn More
  42. Philoktetes

    Sophocles
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Seth L. Schein

    "Seth Schein's new translation of the Philoctetes will serve as a useful text for upper-year classical literature courses in translation. As is typical of the Focus Classical Library series, Schein's translation aims to give a faithful rendering of the Greek that is at the same time readable, if not poetic. It also situates the work in its historical context and generally provides the supplementary material required for readers new to Attic tragedy. . . . Given that it provides more contextual information and interpretive detail than the average translation, and that the translation itself strives for greater fidelity to the original, Schein's work will be most welcome in upper-year translation courses, where it will encourage students to develop a more detailed and subtle understanding of the play."
          —Brad Levett, Carleton University

    Learn More
  43. Plautus and Terence: Five Comedies

    Translated by Deena Berg and Douglass Parker

    "This is a book worthy of high praise. . . . All versions are exceedingly witty and versatile, in verse that ripples from one’s lips, pulling all the punches of Plautus, the knockabout king of farce, and proving that the more polished Terence can be just as funny. Accuracy to the original has been thoroughly respected, but look at the humour in rendering Diphilius’ play called Synapothnescontes as Three’s a Shroud. . . . Students in schools and colleges will benefit from short introductions to each play, to Roman stage conventions, to different types of Greek and Roman comedy, and there is a note on staging, with a diagram illustrating a typical Roman stage and further diagrams of the basic set for each play. The translators have paid more attention to stage directions than is usually given in translations, because they aim to show how these plays worked. This is a book to be used and enjoyed.”
         —Raymond J. Clark, The Classical Outlook

    Learn More
  44. Poems and Fragments

    Sappho
    Translated by Stanley Lombardo
    Introduction by Pamela Gordon

    "I have long been an admirer of Stanley Lombardo's translations of Homer, and I was curious to see how he would adapt his fast-paced, lively style to Sappho. He has succeeded admirably. His translation of 73 poems of Sappho is clear, energetic, and close to the Greek. Pamela Gordon's Introduction gives a lucid and useful guide for the non-specialist to the last fifty years of scholarly debate on Sappho. This edition will be particularly useful for instructors of courses in translation seeking an introduction to Sappho for the Greekless student. It is also a pleasure to read."
         —Laurel Bowman, The Classical Bulletin

    Learn More
  45. Poetics (Sachs Edition)

    Aristotle
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, Joe Sachs

    "I find the Introduction extremely convincing, lucid, learned, fair to past scholarship, and truly illuminating about the meaning of tragedy in general and about the very specific acceptions of hamartiakatharsis, ekplêxis, and thauma, in the context of an appropriate understanding of the Poetics. Another remarkable feature is the dexterity and ease with which it draws on all the relevant parts of the Aristotelian corpus to shed light on troublesome textual passages in the Poetics. Finally, the style of the Introduction is straightforward, free of unnecessary jargon, direct, and economical, the best interpretation of the Poetics I ever read." —Sabetai Unguru, Tel Aviv University

    Learn More
  46. Prometheus Bound

    Aeschylus
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Deborah Roberts

    “This is the best Prometheus Bound in English. Deborah Roberts’ translation is accurate, readable, and true to the original in idiom, imagery, and the combination of a high style with occasional colloquialism. The informative notes and perceptive Introduction will help readers to experience the play with heightened pleasure and understanding.” —Seth L. Schein, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of California, Davis

    "This is an outstandingly useful edition of Prometheus Bound. The translation is both faithful and graceful, and the introduction to this difficult play is a model of clarity, intelligence, and a profound familiarity with the workings of Greek myth, Greek literature, and literature in general." —Rachel Hadas, Department of English, Rutgers University

    "The language is rich and poetic without being overly stylized. The result is a beautiful rendition of the tragic language. . . . The Introduction provides everything one would want and expect to find for this play." —Kathryn Mattison, McMaster University, in Mouseion

    Learn More
  47. Sophocles: Four Tragedies

    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff

    Meineck and Woodruff's new annotated translations of Sophocles' Ajax, Women of Trachis, Electra, and Philoctetes combine the same standards of accuracy, concision, clarity, and powerful speech that have so often made their Theban Plays a source of epiphany in the classroom and of understanding in the theatre.  Woodruff's Introduction offers a brisk and stimulating discussion of central themes in Sophoclean drama, the life of the playwright, staging issues, and each of the four featured plays.

    Learn More
  48. The Birds

    Aristophanes
    Translated, with Introduction and Notes, by Jeffrey Henderson

    Jeffrey Henderson's translation of Aristophanes' The Birds includes essays on Old Comedy and the Theater of Dionysus, suggestions for further reading, notes on production, and a general bibliography.

    Learn More
  49. The Electra Plays

    Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles
    Translated, with Notes, by Peter Meineck, Cecelia Eaton Luschnig, & Paul Woodruff; Introduction by Justina Gregory

    "Once again, Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff team up (this time with Cecelia Eaton Luschnig) to produce a thoroughly engaging text with lively translations that prove to be of great value to the college classroom. . . . The clarity of the translations, the unburdensome thoroughness of the introduction, and the judicious selection of footnotes, however, combine to allow students both within and outside the pertinent disciplines to appreciate how The Electra Plays speak directly to the world."
         —Mitchell M. Harris, Augustana College

    Learn More
  50. The Essential Iliad

    Homer
    Translated and Abridged by Stanley Lombardo
    Introduction by Sheila Murnaghan

    While preserving the basic narrative of the Iliad, this selection also highlights the epic's high poetic moments and essential mythological content, and will prove especially useful in surveys of world literature.

    Learn More
Filter
Set Descending Direction

60 items

Page
per page
View as List Grid