Richmond Lattimore was een Amerikaanse dichter en classicus, gevierd om zijn vertalingen van Griekse klassiekers, met name zijn vertolkingen van de Ilias en de Odyssee. Deze versies worden algemeen beschouwd als behorend tot de beste beschikbare Engelse vertalingen. Zijn aanpak was erop gericht de geest van de oorspronkelijke epossen te behouden en ze tegelijkertijd toegankelijk te maken voor hedendaagse lezers.
In three paperback volumes, the Grene and Lattimore editions offer a selection of the most important and characteristic plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides from the nine-volume anthology of The Complete Greek Tragedies. Over the years these authoritative, critically acclaimed editions have been the preferred choice of more than three million readers for personal libraries and individual study as well as for classroom use.
Richmond Lattimore explores the multifaceted role of Greek poetry in shaping drama, questioning the relative importance of Sophocles as a poet versus his moral and narrative contributions. The work delves into the intricate relationship between poetry and language, particularly in translation, while providing insightful analysis of key plays from Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Through this examination, Lattimore highlights the rich interplay between poetic form and dramatic expression in ancient Greek literature.
A brief discussion of the life of Aeschylus and the structure of early tragedy accompanies a translation of the three plays based on H.W. Smyth's Loeb Classical Library text