Medea

In this powerful and imaginative translation of Medea, Frederick Ahl retains the compelling effects of the monologues, as well as the special feeling and pacing of Seneca's choruses. With stage performance specifically in mind, Ahl renders Seneca's dramatic force in a modern idiom and style that move easily between formality and colloquialism as the mood of the text demands, and he strives to reproduce the richness of the original Latin. In his introduction to the play, Ahl supplies the mythic background and notes about the dramatis personae. A glossary of names and places referred to by Seneca appears at the back of the book. Even readers unfamiliar with Greek and Roman drama should find what they need to understand and enjoy the play. Ahl's translation of Medea and his comparable translations of Trojan Women and Phaedra make up the first volumes in Cornell's new series Masters of Latin Literature. They seek to restore Seneca to his place among the greatest dramatists and will be welcomed by students and scholars of classics and theatre arts, as well as by all readers of drama. Book jacket.

Frederick Ahl is Professor of Theatre Arts and of Classics at Cornell University