3 Review(s)

Published posthumously in 1910, this is the last great work of the eminent classical scholar Walter Headlam (1866-1908), who devoted most of his short life to the study of Aeschylus. On Headlam's death, Alfred Pearson was commissioned to finish the project, and the care and precision of both scholars are evident in this well-edited text. Pearson added a commentary and explanatory notes to Headlam's translation and introduction, both of which were nearly complete when the author died. The text is set out with the English translation facing the original Greek, making them easy to compare. The substantial introduction includes background about the House of Atreus as well as a detailed plot summary, a discussion of the moral and religious content of the play and a description of the characters. Pearson's commentary and notes are equally comprehensive and informative.