Medea and Other Plays

Alcestis/Medea/The Children of Heracles/HippolytusOne of the best prose translations of Euripides I have seen Robert FaglesThis selection of plays shows Euripides transforming the titanic figures of Greek myths into recognizable fallible human beings. Medea in which a spurned woman takes revenge upon her lover by killing her children is one of the most shocking of all the Greek tragedies. Medea is a towering figure who demonstrates Euripides unusual willingness to give voice to a womans case. Alcestis is based on a magical myth in which Death is overcome and The Children of Heracles examines conflict between might and right while Hippolytus deals with self-destructive integrity. Translated by JOHN DAVIE About the Author Euripides (c.485-406 BC) is thought to have written 92 plays only 18 of which survive. John Davie is Head of Classics at St Pauls School in London. Richard Rutherford is Tutor in Classics at Christ Church Oxford.