This book is concerned with the complexity and difficulty of reading the
Oresteia. It is not a traditional commentary, although it is often
concerned with problems of interpretation and language, nor is it simply
what is generally understood by a literary study, although it often
discusses the wider themes of the narrative. It is a close reading of
the text concentrating on the developing meanings of words within the
structuring of the play. In particular, Simon Goldhill focuses on the
text's interests in language and its control, in sexuality and sexual
difference, and in the progression and description of events. Dr
Goldhill links a sound philological knowledge with material drawn widely
from modern literary theory and anthropological studies. The result is a
challenging and provocative book, which offers for the serious student
of Greek drama an exciting range of insights into one of the most
important texts of the ancient world.