The man is extremely intelligent and has a great sense of humor. He’s also a pleasure to listen to, so like the first volume that fI love Stephen Fry.
The man is extremely intelligent and has a great sense of humor. He’s also a pleasure to listen to, so like the first volume that focused on the Greek creation myths, I went with the audio book. It did not disappoint.
In the second volume, we learn about the misadventures of Greek heroes like Perseus, Jason, and Oedipus. I wouldn’t exactly call them heroes, since many of the characters are boastful, arrogant, and violent, but that is probably modern thinking tainting my definition. What I love most about reading ancient text is the glimpse they present into the culture and philosophy of human societies long past. Cultural evolution is fascinating.
Oh, the woes that befall the heroes! Pride and hubris are punished, always. Death is the bookend of every story. I found myself laughing out loud at their misfortune! Terrible, I know, but the myths are meant to be cathartic, allowing relief to settle over the listener. Better them than I.
My favorite of the bunch is the story of Oedipus. I’ve read the story a couple of times now, and his fall from grace is by far the mightiest. Jason and the Golden Fleece was another good one, and I think I’ll be revisiting it in the future. These myths offer such a rich experience, and wisdom is imparted by those long gone if you listen closely....more
I find the ancient Greeks to be a fascinating bunch. I'm slowly learning about their culture and beliefs, their love of wine and the olive, and of disI find the ancient Greeks to be a fascinating bunch. I'm slowly learning about their culture and beliefs, their love of wine and the olive, and of discourse and philosophy. They loved competition; the Panhellenic Games -- boxing, wrestling, foot races, etc., the genesis of the Olympic Games today -- was a staple of their society which managed to bring together the city-states of Hellas. This love of the contest also extended into the realm of the drama. The Greek citizen enjoyed watching plays come alive in the open-aired theatres. The playwrights vied for the honor of having their play chosen as the best.
This work provides four of Aeschylus' work that have survived. Each of these plays were originally parts of a trilogy and unfortunately those works were lost to time, and so what we have left are these unfinished stories. The only trilogy that we have in completion is the Oresteia, which I plan to read at some point.
Here is a quick review of each play:
The Suppliant Maidens: A short play about maidens who have taken flight from Egypt to prevent being forcefully married to their cousins. They arrive in Argos and beg the the king of the city to give them refuge. I wasn't blown away but its important to note that this is 1 part of a lost trilogy so who knows what the rest of the play was like. 2/5 stars.
The Persians: Another short drama written in the point of view of the Persians after their loss at Salamis. In the introduction it says that plays humanizing the enemy were unthought of in ancient Greece. I enjoyed it because the melancholy and lamentations come through very well. You feel for the losers of the war. 3/5 stars.
Seven Against Thebes: Oedipus's son Eteocles, who is now king of Thebes, protects the city against an attack from his brother Polynices and six other great warriors. I enjoyed the writing in this one; very poetic. It's a cool addition to the three Theben plays by Sophocles. Fate wasn't kind to poor Oedipus. 4/5 stars.
Prometheus Bound: The story of Prometheus is my favorite of Greek myths and I was not disappointed with this one. The language was beautiful. Prometheus is wise and defiant. Hermes is an asshole but Prometheus lays down a lyrical smackdown. I loved it. I would've loved to see how this one ended. 5/5 stars....more
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