Aeschylus: Agamemnon

This seminar, cross-listed as Gk 519 for those who wish to do more supervised close reading (with no final paper requirement), is intended as a general introduction to Aeschylus and as an advanced reading course on the Agamemnon. The three-hour session will be run as a seminar, with generous room allotted for student input, research, and discussion. Translation, textual study, and interpretation of Agamemnon, in the context of broader concerns (religion, politics, social and cultural issues, aesthetic questions, dramatic technique), will be our daily fare, although increasing attention will be paid to issues specific to the trilogy of plays to which the Agamemnon belongs. Time permitting we may dip into other parts of the trilogy, but our primary focus will be on this one play and on the enormous scholarship it has generated. Requirements will consist in two or more presentations (depending on the size of enrollment) and a final paper (article length). It is also expected that all seven plays of Aeschylus will have been read in translation before the first class. Anyone interested in further information or in getting a head start over the summer is encouraged to speak to me in advance. The possibility of extra translation sessions for those enrolled in Gk 519 can be discussed.

Books to purchase (at Shaman Drum or elsewhere): Page’s OCT of Aeschylus; Denniston and Page’s edition of Agamemnon. Our primary commentary will be E. Fraenkel, Agamemnon (3 vols., 1950/1962).