The Trojan Women and Other Plays

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This volume, with translation, introduction and notes by James Morwood offers readings on Euripides' plays The Trojan Women, Hecuba and Andromache. These are all related to the Trojan War and follow themes begun in Homer's Iliad. In Hecuba, the Queen of ruined Troy seeks revenge on Polymestor for the murder of her son Polydorus, but it becomes much more than that, when Agamemnon becomes a temporary ally, and Hecuba's revenge becomes a source of further despair to balance against all her losses in the war against the Greeks. In The Trojan Women, the women are being held waiting for the Greeks to allocate them out after the fall of the city. Hecuba bewails her loss and her awarding to hated Odysseus, Cassandra madly goes about preparing for her wedding to Agamemnon and the fate she will bring his family, Andromache dreads her fate with Neoptolemus whose father Achilles killed her husband Hector, and loses her son Astyanax to the Greeks. The chorus of Trojan women share the pain of all these women, and remind the audience of the widespread despair, loss and fear that these women suffered even after their men had been lost in the war. This must have been a very unusual play, given the large number of women characters in a play that was acted by men for a largely men-only audience in fifth century BC Athens. In Andromache, the widow of Hector begins her new life as slave to Neoptolemus, who killed Hector's father, whose father killed her husband, whose wife Hermione is the daughter of Menelaus and Helen who started the Trojan War. A bitter life indeed. These are wonderful plays; what I would give to have a time travelling machine and to be able to go back to fifth century BC Athens to witness their performance. This book offers a great introduction to someone like me who has not come across Euripides' works before. The introduction is lengthy and most informative, the translations are sympathetic and coherent, and the notes are concise but pertinent.

This is the work of a master poet and playwright. One of the greatest works of the ancient Greek dramatic tradition — and of any literary tradition— is the “Trojan Women” which comes a close as we mere mortals can imagine to grasping the significance the burning of sacred Ilium. However, this is the only translation in English which I have read, so I cannot comment on how well it compares to previous versions or the original Greek which I cannot read. It is a small compact book, great for carrying on purse or bag to read wherever. Excellent notes annotated by line and organized in the back of the book.

Only referenced to this a few times - good read for classical studies.

Having read Homer's The Iliad I wanted to read about the aftermath

The condition of this book was excellent. It was a great addition to my Mythology collection. This is a great book for those who want a more closer look at the Trojan War and the women involved.