The Oresteia cover art

The Oresteia

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Oresteia

By: Aeschylus, Yuri Rasovsky - adaptation from translation, Ian Johnston - translator
Narrated by: full cast
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $11.99

Buy Now for $11.99

About this listen

In The Oresteia, Aeschylus dramatizes the myth of the curse on the royal house of Argos. The action begins when King Agamemnon returns victorious from the Trojan War, only to be treacherously slain by his own wife. It ends with the trial of their son, Orestes, who slew his mother to avenge her treachery - a trial with the goddess Athena as judge, the god Apollo as defense attorney, and, as prosecutors, relentless avenging demons called The Furies. The results of the trial change the nature of divine and human justice forever.

An adaptation by Yuri Rasovsky, based on a translation by Ian Johnston.

Also included is an excerpt from Blackstone's dramatization of The Odyssey, in which Agamemnon's brother Menelaus learns of the events of The Oresteia from Proteus, the sea god.

(P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc. Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature Classics Collections Drama Literary History & Criticism Ancient Greece Mythology Royalty Adaptation Ancient History Greece
All stars
Most relevant  
This oddity seems heavily adapted, and the chorus is somewhat hammily recorded with the same voice multiplied electronically, unfortunately resembling the Dalek voices in Dr Who. Also the music while pleasant can be distracting. A shame as the cast is clearly competent.

Disappointing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The translation does not match the audio. Putting this quibble aside, it's a great play, and this one was performed well.

Great story, incorrect translation

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.