Prometheus Bound

Front Cover
Richer Resources Publications, 2013 - Drama - 49 pages
Prometheus Bound, a tragedy traditionally attributed to the famous Athenian playwright Aeschylus (c. 525 BC - c. 456 BC) is the most famous dramatic depiction of one of the most important mythic figures among the ancient Greeks. Prometheus, a Titan, one of the family of deities preceding Zeus, helped Zeus overthrow his father, Cronos, and usher in the rule of the Olympian gods. However, when Prometheus stole fire from heaven and gave it to human beings, Zeus turned against him. In addition, Prometheus had learned of a secret that would lead to Zeus' downfall. In order to extract this secret, Zeus decides to inflict a horrific punishment of Prometheus. However, the Titan will not give way and vows to defy Zeus by not revealing his secret, no matter what the cost.Aeschylus' play, apparently the first in a trilogy (the other two plays are lost), depicts the beginning of Prometheus' long punishment and is famous for the way it expresses the Titan's unflinching defiance and emphasizes the harsh tyranny of Zeus' new rule in heaven (not merely by what happens to Prometheus). These two qualities help to define a characteristically tragic Greek heroic attitude to suffering and divine rule, something very much at odds, as Friedrich Nietzsche pointed out, with the important Biblical founding myth of Adam and Eve.Ian Johnston's new translation is an accurate and dramatically vivid version of this famous work. The text contains explanatory footnotes for readers who need assistance with the mythic and geographical references.

About the author (2013)

Aeschylus was born at Eleusis of a noble family. He fought at the Battle of Marathon (490 b.c.), where a small Greek band heroically defeated the invading Persians. At the time of his death in Sicily, Athens was in its golden age. In all of his extant works, his intense love of Greece and Athens finds expression. Of the nearly 90 plays attributed to him, only 7 survive. These are The Persians (produced in 472 b.c.), Seven against Thebes (467 b.c.), The Oresteia (458 b.c.)---which includes Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides (or Furies) --- Suppliants (463 b.c.), and Prometheus Bound (c.460 b.c.). Six of the seven present mythological stories. The ornate language creates a mood of tragedy and reinforces the already stylized character of the Greek theater. Aeschylus called his prodigious output "dry scraps from Homer's banquet," because his plots and solemn language are derived from the epic poet. But a more accurate summation of Aeschylus would emphasize his grandeur of mind and spirit and the tragic dignity of his language. Because of his patriotism and belief in divine providence, there is a profound moral order to his plays. Characters such as Clytemnestra, Orestes, and Prometheus personify a great passion or principle. As individuals they conflict with divine will, but, ultimately, justice prevails. Aeschylus's introduction of the second actor made real theater possible, because the two could address each other and act several roles. His successors imitated his costumes, dances, spectacular effects, long descriptions, choral refrains, invocations, and dialogue. Swinburne's (see Vol. 1) enthusiasm for The Oresteia sums up all praises of Aeschylus; he called it simply "the greatest achievement of the human mind." Because of his great achievements, Aeschylus might be considered the "father of tragedy." About the TranslatorIan C. Johnston was born in Valparaiso, Chile, and educated at McGill University (BSc, Geology and Chemistry, 1959), University of Bristol (BA, English and Greek, 1968), and the University of Toronto (MA, English, 1969). In addition he has certificates from the Ontario College of Education, Heidelberg University, and the Jarvis School of Welding.Johnston's teaching experience includes high school (Upper Canada College, 1959-60, Port Perry High School 1961-63), university (University of British Columbia, 1969-70), college, and university college (College of New Caledonia, Prince George, 1970-75; Malaspina College and Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo,1975-2004). Over the years he taught a wide range of subjects: Science, Mathematics, Latin, English, Classics, and Liberal Studies (Great Books).Professor Johnston has had over 25 titles released in the last several years, including The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Iliad [Abrdged], The Odyssey [Abridged, The Oresteia, The Persians, Seven Against Thebes, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Philoctetes, Ajax, Bacchae, Medea, Orestes, Birds, Clouds, Frogs, and Lysistrata, Knights, Peace, Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, Birth of Tragedy, On the Use and Abuse of History for Life and Kant's Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens, Descartes' Discourse on Methods and Lucretius' On the Nature of Things, as well as the Metamorphosis and other short stories of Kafka all of which are available on this website. He is currently retired as a university-college instructor and lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada with this wife.

Bibliographic information