The second of two volumes collecting the complete tragedies of
Seneca.
Edited by world-renowned classicists Elizabeth Asmis, Shadi Bartsch, and
Martha C. Nussbaum, the Complete Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca offers
authoritative, modern English translations of the writings of the Stoic
philosopher and playwright (4 BCE-65 CE). The two volumes of The
Complete Tragedies presents all of his dramas, expertly rendered by
preeminent scholars and translators.
The first volume contains Medea, The Phoenician Women, Phaedra,
The Trojan Women, and Octavia, the last of which was written in
emulation of Senecan tragedies and serves as a unique example of
political tragedy. This second volume includes Oedipus, Hercules
Mad, Hercules on Oeta, Thyestes, and Agamemnon. High standards of
accuracy, clarity, and style are maintained throughout the translations,
which render Seneca into verse with as close a correspondence, line for
line, to the original as possible, and with special attention paid to
meter and overall flow. In addition, each tragedy is prefaced by an
original translator's introduction offering reflections on the work's
context and meaning. Notes are provided for the reader unfamiliar with
the culture and history of classical antiquity. Accordingly, The
Complete Tragedies will be of use to a general audience and
professionals alike, from the Latinless student to scholars and
instructors of comparative literature, classics, philosophy, drama, and
more.