The Tragedies of Euripides

A collection of major plays as well as lesser-known gems by the classical Greek dramatist Aristotle called “the most tragic of poets.”

To read TheTragedies of Euripides is to revel in the astonishing range of emotions Euripides attributed to his characters, both human and immortal, revealing inner lives with a complexity not seen before by fifth century BC audiences, and making his plays just as relevant and riveting to today’s theater enthusiast.

Hecuba depicts a queen in the aftermath of the Trojan war, grieving the loss of generations of family and demanding justice. Orestes explores madness as a man faces execution for the murder of his mother. The Phoenician Woman shines a light on the female victims of war as two brothers battle for control of Thebes. Medea retells the classic myth of the desperation of a wife and mother when faced with her husband’s infidelities. Hippolytus portrays the rage of Aphrodite as her own son casts his loyalties with another goddess. The Bacchae reveals Dionysus’s revenge against his mortal cousin for denying the god his honor as a deity. The Heraclidæ follows the children of Heracles as they seek protection from a king’s wrath. Iphigenia in Aulis grapples with a father’s decision to sacrifice his own daughter to appease the goddess Artemis, whereas Iphigenia in Tauris shows Iphigenia, spared by Artemis, suffering the loneliness of a life removed from her family.

Rich with psychological insight, The Tragedies of Euripides is an essential collection of classical Greek theater from the most modern of the ancient tragedians.