This edition contains ten of the nineteen surviving plays & fragments by Euripides, all of which are his best tragedies (and one comedy). I'm aware that the translator for my edition, Paul Roche, has written in his own guesses and inventions to fill in the gaps where missing lines appear, but since I'm reading this alongside another edition of Euripides' complete plays for comparison, I won't be taking that into account and instead will review the plays themselves.My ratings for each individual

This seems like a good edition to use in combination with others. Moses Hadas and John McLean have rendered literal prose translations that convey both the basic sense of the plays, and, in their intermittent lyrical prose sections, a good sense of the poetic spirit, I think. But the dramatic movement and power of a verse play are missing. Subsequent reading of a poet's translation would supply something of the original experience, tempered by a sense of how far it was from the original meaning,...

A word about the translation: Paul Roche does a great job, with a few caveats. These translations seem to be made for stage productions of Euripides, so they tend to spell everything out. In some cases this is nice, like during scenes where the staging is crucial to understanding the action. In some cases, like when he completely makes up parts of a play that are missing, it can be bad. He notes when he thinks the play is not reputable or when he has to fill in the gaps, so I’m inclined to think...

I'm doing a project where I'm discussing each of the surviving Greek plays in a Youtube video (at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheatreofPhil). I'll be rereading these plays as I move through making the videos, and I'll write new reviews here with the links to the videos beneath them. My overview video about Euripides is at: Alcestis: This is almost a kind of comedy, but it's definitely a black comedy. The structure moves more like comedy in that things descend into sadness but are then restored to

I only read Electra and Iphigeneia at Aulis. I didn’t enjoy this translation.

—Read Hippolytus, Medea and the Bacchae for SJC Weekend Classics 5/7-8

I read this because my friend was going to see the Bakkhai and I wanted to talk to her about it, plus I've always wanted to read the Iphigenia plays, Medea, Electra, and The Trojan Women, and while I was reading six of the plays in the book I might as well read the other four. This turned out to be varyingly good for me.General comments: Roche is kind of a weird translator. Some of the plays (most notably the Bakkhai) have noticable gaps in the text, and he's flat out made up segments of verse t...

ALCESTISIf you were married and you knew your spouse was going to die and you also knew you could put yourself in his or her stead, would you? If the answer is yes, are you a good spouse? Would people honor you and revere your decision? Should you be able to ask your spouse to not remarry after you are gone?On the opposite side, if your spouse chose to, would you allow your spouse to die for you? If the answer is yes, are you a good spouse? Would people honor you and revere your decision? Would

"Beauty is a joy forever." [The Bacchae]So I previously read Electra and Other Plays and two of those plays (Electra and The Trojan Women) were contained in both editions, so I skipped them here. The other eight were as follows, with brief overviews:1. Alcestis: Alcestis has to die for her husband2. Hippolytus: Hippolytus spurns Aphrodite and she's out for revenge3. Ion: basically the life story about Ion, who has a child with a god4. Iphigenia at Aulis: Agamemnon is told that his daughter must

Euripides is one of the most progressive and prolific playwrights of Antiquity. His work marks him as a feminist in a heavily-patriarchal society, and a free-thinker in a long-standing religious civilization. Despite the complaints that addition of stage directions and other details make the plays less authentic, I needed them. There are typos and mistakes, but overall, I have no major criticisms for the translations (I'm an amateur when it comes to these kind of texts, though). Alcestis - 3...

READ ION. THATS IT. THATS THE REVIEW.

so fun! Not sure if this was the best translation, but the drama shines regardless.

I was hoping to find a simple copy of the classic The Bacchae but instead stumbled across this wonderful collection of ten Euripides plays. This English translation is easy to read and though there isn't much in the way of footnotes or long introductions, the text speaks for itself and rarely leaves you confused. Each play has a simple single-page introduction with an illustration and helps develop any historical background (ie, how old was Euripides when he made this particular play, was Greece...

Paul Roche's translations are very good: readable and often preserving elements of the original Greek. Pay attention to his footnotes, though, since that is where he notes problem lines and/or his own interpolations (in particular in the Bacchae).I found his introductions not particularly useful, and the stage directions he inserted too heavy-handed and not allowing the reader to bring enough of his/her imagination to the text (not to mention that there aren't stage directions in the Greek). Aft...

8/18- re-read Bacchae, for live performance this weekend at getty villa. theme of fear of eastern religion spreading westward, radicalizing suppressed segments of society, and resulting in violence and mayhem; so timely now.9/17-re-read Iphigenia in Aulis, for the live performance this weekend at the getty villa.these translations are very modern and approachable.

I enjoyed these plays...I read the 6 recommended by Clifton Fadiman - Alcestis, Medea, Hippolytus, The Trojan Women, Electra, The Bacchants. All were highly readable. My favorites were the last 3.This is book 7 of 133 books in Clifton Fadiman's The New Lifetime Reading Plan.

I had to read five of these plays for my Greek and Roman Mythology Class, and being me, I decided to finish this collection. I really, really enjoyed these plays, and I'm surprised some of them (like Ion or The Bacchae) aren't more popular nowadays. I would love to read more retellings or movie versions of them.Alcestis - 3 starsI read this third in my class, after The Bacchae and Hippolytus. It's much funnier - or at least, ironic and exaggerated - than those. Heracles is funny, he's such a dud...

If I'd known this copy was a reprint of an outdated translation from the 1960s, I would've skipped out. Listen, there is NO reason to include the word "car" when you're translating any text from before the 1880s. Why am I reading about these tragic characters getting into "cars" when the words "carriage" "chariot", hell even "cart" already exist and make infinitely more sense for the time period and culture. The names here are also weirdly translated sometimes. I had never heard of the name Loxi...

This was my first encounter with ancient Greek theater. Only about 30 plays survive from antiquity out of thousands lost. Theater in the ancient Greek world, especially in Athens, served as a form of civil religion - a means by which all members of the community witnessed to the stories and themes that bound them together as a community. This collection, translated by Paul Roche, is a great introduction to the genre. Roche helpfully adds stage directions and some commentary to help the reader mo...

I only read The Trojan Woman, and I really enjoyed it. I liked that it looked at what the women had to put up with after the fall of Troy. I don't know that I ever thought of that much. It was a terrible place to be and deep agony when Andromache's child is taken away from her to his death. That part was hard and touching. I thought Euripides was incredibly tender towards the situation of the women and that he was a man. I also appreciated the anger felt towards Helen and that that was played ou...

I really enjoyed these plays, and I thought the translator did a good job making them clear and compelling. There were a couple of things that bugged me. In the intro to Ion, the editor romanticizes the rape of Creusa, saying she was "ravished," when it's clear from the text it was a violent and cruel rape.The editor also seems to dismiss Electra's character and motivations, saying she's envious of her mother when it's obvious her motivation is revenge. And in the intro to Trojan Women, he calls...

some variations among the reviews as to the edition, mine contains:alcestismedeahippolytusandromacheio0ntrojan womenelectraiphigenia among the tauriansthe bacchantsiphigenia at aulisi had already read trojan women, hippolytus and medea, so i did the other seven this time around. iphigenia among the taurians was probably the highlight for me but i really enjoyed all of them. a definitive edition would probably contain the complete works plus the fragments so the search continues

From my notes, I see that I may have only read "The Bacchae". Well, no matter--I wanted to praise this translation. Not that I'm an expert on translation, but if a translated work can chill me to the bone, I'll say, "Well done!" Euripides tells us: don't try to go against the gods. Not because they're as crazy as we are. No, they have no logic, no feelings. They are energies, not beings. And as happens in "The Bacchae", when we try to go against one of these forces, there's hell to pay.

Required text for a World Literature class, however, the plays in this book are actually really good. Written by the Greeks, they are full of drama and scandals. I love how every situation was taken to extremes. My favorite was the play about Medea. There are lessons to be learned in these plays and important themes such as religion, love, loyalty, and revenge. The plays are actually pretty easy to understand. Would recommend to theatre and drama readers/lovers and actors.

So, I didn't actually read this translation. I read Moses Hadas' translation, but I'm not reviewing the translation per se. I'm more interested in the plays themselves. They are fantastic. I can really see why Euripedes was so popular. I loved how he told so many stories about the same people but from different perspectives at different times. He's sunny and witty and has a sense of the historic. I mean as a group, and as a body of work, I really thought these were a lot of fun.

"Time will soften your grief. The dead are nothing.""I shall not leave my children for my enemies to insult. [In any case they must die. And if die they must, I shall slay them, who gave them birth.]""Even if this is no god, as you say, pretend to yourself that he is. It is a most honorable falsehood."

A must read collection of classic Greek drama by one of its most famous playwrights. This collection contains all of the most well known of Euripides' plays including: "The Bacchae", "The Trojan Women", "Hippolytus", and seven more. A wonderful look at ancient Greek drama.

Love these plays, Particularly Medea and The Trojan women. I still find Trojan women very moving

The plays are very interesting, and also so intriguing to read that I just cannot put it down.

Superb... a feast to the senses...