The Persae of AeschylusThe Persae is the oldest of surviving plays and its subject matter is unique in ancient drama, since it is concerned with a recent historical event, the defeat of the Persians at Salamis; yet before the publication of this work in 1960, there had been no edition suitable for university students and scholars. This major edition - the first to be attempted on such a scale - incorporated much material that former editions had neglected, including a number of textual suggestions and elucidations. In his introduction, Dr Broadhead assesses the Persae as a work of dramatic art, considers how far Aeschylus' patriotism has coloured his presentation of the tragedy, discusses the possibility that the play is part of a tetralogy, and reviews the evidence for a Sicilian text. He also explains the principles followed in establishing the text, which is accompanied by select critical notes. There is a full-scale commentary, which takes account of the scholarship that was current when this volume was first published. The appendices form an important supplement, and include a conspectus of metres; notes on spirit raising, the tragic kommos, and Persian names; and an account of the battle of Salamis. |
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Common terms and phrases
A. Y. Campbell Aesch Aeschylean Aeschylus Ajax anapaestic antistrophe army Athenian Atossa battle Blomf Chorus context corr dactyls Darius Denniston dipodies disaster express fleet followed Fraenkel Greek Groen Hdlm Headlam Homeric iamb iambic Introd Ionic J. T. Sheppard Jebb King lament lyrical Mazon meaning Messenger metre Murray Paley passage periphrasis Persae Persian phrase Plataea play poet Prickard Psyttaleia Queen reading reference rendering Salamis says scene schol Schütz seems sense Sept ships Sidg Smyth spondee suggests suitable Suppl suppose Teuffel Themistocles tragedy trimeters Troad trochaic Tucker verb Wilamowitz words Xerxes ἂν Ατ γὰρ δὲ δὴ εἰς ἐκ ἐν ἐπ ἐς θεῶν καὶ κακῶν κατὰ μὲν μὴ μοι οἱ οὐ οὐκ πάντα Περσῶν πρὸς στρ τὰ τὴν τῆς τὸ τοῖς τὸν τοῦ τοὺς τῶν Χο ὡς