-
Persians
- Narrated by: Guy Bethell
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Premium Plus
$14.95 a month
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Prometheus Bound
- By: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 55
When a jealous Zeus discovers that the compassionate Titan, Prometheus, has introduced the gift of fire to liberate mere mortals from oppression and servitude, he has Prometheus bound to a rocky prison in the Scythian desert, where the god discloses the reason for his punishment.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A one-man show
- By Tad on 12-20-10
By: Aeschylus
-
The Oresteia
- By: Aeschylus, Yuri Rasovsky - adaptation from translation, Ian Johnston - translator
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 258
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 257
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Dramatic Trilogy for Both GODS and MEN.
- By Darwin8u on 06-19-12
By: Aeschylus, and others
-
Bacchae
- By: Euripides
- Narrated by: Arthur Grey
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
The Bacchae is concerned with two opposite sides of human nature: the rational and civilized side, which is represented by the character of Pentheus, the king of Thebes, and the instinctive side, which is represented by Dionysus. This side is sensual without analysis, it feels a connection between man and beast, and it is a potential source of divinity and spiritual power. In Euripides' plays the gods represent various human qualities, allowing the audience to grapple with considerations of the human condition.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
would be better with a full cast
- By Taylor Britton on 06-22-19
By: Euripides
-
The Suppliants
- Translated by F L Light
- By: Aeschylus, F L Light (translator)
- Narrated by: Beth Bostic
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 15
The fifty daughters of Danaos have with their father fled by ship from Egypt, escaping compulsatory marriage with their fifty cousins, the sons of Aegyptos. They arrive in Argos, where, by supplication to the king and people, they seek refuge from their cousins, who sailed in pursuit. Their devout abhorrence of the marriage is the weightiest theme of the play.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A challenging translation, wonderfully read
- By Jon Pederson on 10-17-20
By: Aeschylus, and others
-
Medea
- By: Euripides
- Narrated by: Jonathan Waters
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the actions of Medea, a former princess of the "barbarian" kingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason; she finds her position in the Greek world threatened as Jason leaves her for a Greek princess of Corinth. Medea takes vengeance on Jason by murdering Jason's new wife as well as her own children, after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Narrator makes this story work
- By cosmitron on 08-02-18
By: Euripides
-
Hippolytus
- By: Bob Gonzalez - translator, Euripides
- Narrated by: P. J. Morgan, Linda Barrans, Russell Gold, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Euripides (c. 480-406 B.C.E.) is the author of eighteen extant plays and many more only surviving in fragments. He is the youngest of the three great Athenian tragedians with Aeschylus and Sophocles. Hippolytus, bastard son of Theseus and the Amazon Hippolyta, has sworn chaste allegiance to the goddess Artemis, thus severely offending the goddess Aphrodite by failing to revere her. Aphrodite swears revenge and promises that he will die before the day is done, taking with him Queen Phaedra, wife of Theseus.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
pretty tragic stuff
- By Taylor Britton on 06-22-19
By: Bob Gonzalez - translator, and others
-
Prometheus Bound
- By: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 55
When a jealous Zeus discovers that the compassionate Titan, Prometheus, has introduced the gift of fire to liberate mere mortals from oppression and servitude, he has Prometheus bound to a rocky prison in the Scythian desert, where the god discloses the reason for his punishment.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A one-man show
- By Tad on 12-20-10
By: Aeschylus
-
The Oresteia
- By: Aeschylus, Yuri Rasovsky - adaptation from translation, Ian Johnston - translator
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 333
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 258
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 257
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A Dramatic Trilogy for Both GODS and MEN.
- By Darwin8u on 06-19-12
By: Aeschylus, and others
-
Bacchae
- By: Euripides
- Narrated by: Arthur Grey
- Length: 1 hr and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 24
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
The Bacchae is concerned with two opposite sides of human nature: the rational and civilized side, which is represented by the character of Pentheus, the king of Thebes, and the instinctive side, which is represented by Dionysus. This side is sensual without analysis, it feels a connection between man and beast, and it is a potential source of divinity and spiritual power. In Euripides' plays the gods represent various human qualities, allowing the audience to grapple with considerations of the human condition.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
would be better with a full cast
- By Taylor Britton on 06-22-19
By: Euripides
-
The Suppliants
- Translated by F L Light
- By: Aeschylus, F L Light (translator)
- Narrated by: Beth Bostic
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 16
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 15
The fifty daughters of Danaos have with their father fled by ship from Egypt, escaping compulsatory marriage with their fifty cousins, the sons of Aegyptos. They arrive in Argos, where, by supplication to the king and people, they seek refuge from their cousins, who sailed in pursuit. Their devout abhorrence of the marriage is the weightiest theme of the play.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A challenging translation, wonderfully read
- By Jon Pederson on 10-17-20
By: Aeschylus, and others
-
Medea
- By: Euripides
- Narrated by: Jonathan Waters
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the actions of Medea, a former princess of the "barbarian" kingdom of Colchis, and the wife of Jason; she finds her position in the Greek world threatened as Jason leaves her for a Greek princess of Corinth. Medea takes vengeance on Jason by murdering Jason's new wife as well as her own children, after which she escapes to Athens to start a new life.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great Narrator makes this story work
- By cosmitron on 08-02-18
By: Euripides
-
Hippolytus
- By: Bob Gonzalez - translator, Euripides
- Narrated by: P. J. Morgan, Linda Barrans, Russell Gold, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 38
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Euripides (c. 480-406 B.C.E.) is the author of eighteen extant plays and many more only surviving in fragments. He is the youngest of the three great Athenian tragedians with Aeschylus and Sophocles. Hippolytus, bastard son of Theseus and the Amazon Hippolyta, has sworn chaste allegiance to the goddess Artemis, thus severely offending the goddess Aphrodite by failing to revere her. Aphrodite swears revenge and promises that he will die before the day is done, taking with him Queen Phaedra, wife of Theseus.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
pretty tragic stuff
- By Taylor Britton on 06-22-19
By: Bob Gonzalez - translator, and others
-
The Oresteia
- Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Furies
- By: Aeschylus
- Narrated by: Lesley Sharp, Hugo Speer, Will Howard, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
The classic trilogy about murder, revenge and justice, as heard on BBC Radio 3 – plus a bonus documentary exploring Aeschylus's seminal Greek tragedy. A chilling tale of homecoming, violent death and bloody vengeance, The Oresteia dates back to the fifth century BC, but its themes still resonate today. At once a family saga, morality tale and courtroom drama, it recounts how two generations of the cursed House of Atreus become locked into a deadly cycle of atrocities....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
absolutely beautiful
- By Tobias on 12-03-20
By: Aeschylus
-
The Plays of Sophocles
- Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
Sophocles was born at Colonus, near Athens in about 496 BC and is considered to be one of the premier playwrights of Greek tragedy. His stories may have been filled with strife, but Sophocles himself was prosperous and came from a good family. It is said that he was handsome, wealthy, and a highly respected citizen of Athens. During his life, he wrote over 120 plays and was instrumental in how plays would eventually be performed, including the addition of stage props.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
This is worth listening to if...
- By Brian Mumford on 07-31-19
By: Sophocles
-
Lysistrata
- By: Aristophanes
- Narrated by: Claire Heffron
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 28
Lysistrata is a comedy by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War by denying all the men of the land any sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired. Lysistrata persuades the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace - a strategy, however, that inflames the battle between the sexes.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Confusing
- By Amazon Customer on 02-23-20
By: Aristophanes
-
Greek Tragedy
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 297
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 269
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 268
Greek tragedy was a dramatic form that flourished for less than a full century. And yet it remains vibrant, alive, and productive today. And the form's masterpieces help us-as perhaps they helped their original audiences-grasp a fuller sense of the terror and wonder of life. Professor Vandiver has designed these 24 rich and rewarding lectures to give you a full overview of Greek tragedy, both in its original setting and as a lasting contribution to the artistic exploration of the human condition.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Theatre History Done Right!
- By Joshua on 10-19-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
-
The Socratic Dialogues Early Period, Volume 2
- Gorgias, Protagoras, Meno, Euthydemus, Lesser Hippias, Greater Hippias
- By: Plato, Benjamin Jowett - translator
- Narrated by: David Rintoul, full cast
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 97
Here, in this second collection of Socratic Dialogues from Plato's Early Period, read by David Rintoul as Socrates with a full cast, are contrasting six works. Often, as with Gorgias, which opens the recording, Socrates combats the popular subjects of sophistry and rhetoric, in direct conversation with Gorgias (a leading sophist teacher), and with one of his pupils, Callicles.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
an excellent performance
- By Christopher Powell on 07-10-18
By: Plato, and others
-
The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,103
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 988
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 980
For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great!
- By Audible Fan on 11-29-15
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
-
Oedipus the King
- By: Sophocles
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 301
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 257
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 255
In Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus discovers that he has been caught in his terrible destiny, unknowingly murdering his father and marrying his mother.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Superb
- By Mark on 11-24-09
By: Sophocles
-
Plato, Socrates, and the Dialogues
- By: Michael Sugrue, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Michael Sugrue
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 521
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 464
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 457
These 16 lectures bring the Socratic quest for truth alive and explore ideas that are as vital today as they were 25 centuries ago. Ideas about truth, justice, love, beauty, courage, and wisdom that can change lives and reveal the world in new ways. Here, you'll delve into the inner structure, action, and meaning of 17 of Plato's greatest dialogues, making these lectures an indispensable companion for anyone interested in philosophy in general or Platonic thought in particular.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Easily the best audiobook in my collection
- By ADRIAN on 02-03-14
By: Michael Sugrue, and others
-
Four Greek Comedies
- 'The Birds', 'The Frogs', 'The Clouds', and 'The Peace'
- By: Aristophanes, C. A. Wheelwright (translator)
- Narrated by: Flo Gibson
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 27
These four plays, translated into blank verse by C. A. Wheelwright, present to us the wide range of this ancient playwright's fertile imagination. From war and peace to politics and society to the relationships between mena nd women, no topic is off-limits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fabulous!
- By Amazon Customer on 02-12-19
By: Aristophanes, and others
-
The Socratic Dialogues Middle Period, Volume 1
- Symposium, Theaetetus, Phaedo
- By: Plato, Benjamin Jowett - translation
- Narrated by: David Rintoul, Hugh Ross, full cast
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 66
Here are three important but very different Dialogues from the Middle Period. Symposium, the most well-known in this collection, is concerned with the theme of love. In the house of Agathon, a group of friends - each very different in personality and background - meet to consider and discuss various kinds of love. Each one, Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes (the playwright) and Agathon (a prize-winning tragic poet), presents his particular view in a short discourse.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Audio Needs a Cleanup
- By Zachary Craft on 07-18-18
By: Plato, and others
-
The Socratic Dialogues: Late Period, Volume 1
- Timaeus, Critias, Sophist, Statesman, Philebus
- By: Plato, Benjamin Jowett - translator
- Narrated by: David Rintoul, David Timson, Peter Kenny, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 46
These five very different Socratic Dialogues date from Plato's later period, when he was revisiting his early thoughts and conclusions and showing a willingness for revision. In Timaeus (mainly a monologue read by David Timson in the title role), Plato considers cosmology in terms of the nature and structure of the universe, the ever-changing physical world and the unchanging eternal world. And he proposes a demiurge as a benevolent creator God.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Perfectly performed and antidote for what ails us
- By Gary on 02-23-18
By: Plato, and others
-
The Odyssey of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 721
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 651
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 645
What is it in Homer's Odyssey that has so enthralled readers from around the world for thousands of years? By joining Professor Vandiver for these 12 lectures on the Odyssey, you'll find out why.This literary exploration centers on a single provocative question about the epic poem's protagonist, Odysseus: Why does he long so powerfully to go home? To probe the depths of this question, you'll embark on meticulous, insightful examinations of the most important episodes in the Odyssey.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Another Great Course of a Greak Greek Classic
- By SAMA on 01-14-14
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
Publisher's Summary
Aeschylus’ historical tragedy Persians, with its dire warnings against the hubris of imperialist overreach, is as relevant today as it was when first presented to an Athenian audience in 472 BC. This new edition of the classic drama features a literal translation by Mark Will (translator of Fernando Pessoa’s Message) which reconstructs in contemporary English verse the epic cadences of the original Greek.
More from the same
Author
What listeners say about Persians
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 05-30-19
An ancient classic that remains relevant today
I thoroughly enjoyed this edition of Persians by Aeschylus, translated by Mark Will. This ancient Greek tragedy tells of the Persian King Xerxes' expedition against the Greeks, and his army's catastrophic loss against the enemy. In this play, Aeschylus warns against the hubris of imperial over-reach, which I must say has been relevant throughout the history of man. I also got the paperback copy and it includes some extra materials: a very helpful preface on the historical context of the play, relevant maps of the time, and some very interesting details regarding the author. There are also very helpful end notes which include explanations of terms and context, and production suggestions. Mark Will points out in the preface the continued relevance of this work by Aeschylus, despite the time that has lapsed since he wrote it, especially with the US-Middle East conflict in the recent years. He draws political parallels between the ancient and modern forms of imperialism. Will does an excellent job with this translation, being a poet himself. The lyrical verses flowed so well I read the entire text in one sitting. Thoroughly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Taylor Britton
- 06-13-19
persians, big fans of zeus
didnt know Darius the Great was such a big fan of Zeus. bad ass he learned the ways of the Force Ghost before he croaked thou