The political art of Greek tragedy /

Meier's book is a salutary reminder that Greek tragedy, even more perhaps than most literature, both expressed and influenced its age. The first four chapters trace the development of government and politics in Athens and discuss the festivals at which drama was performed; the next two chapters analyze political elements and perspectives in tragedies of Aeschylus (including Prometheus) and Sophocles from the period 472-440 BCE. Chapter 7, "The Political Foundations of Classicism," is a 13-page conclusion and summary. The work as a whole is stimulating yet dissatisfying. Beneficial insights are scattered throughout the essay (and often repeated), but since much of the interpretation is necessarily subjective and there are no documentary notes, the reader can seldom be certain upon what evidence they rest. Three pages of "Further Reading and Notes" at the end do not make up for the omission. Die politische Kunst der griechischen Trag"odie was published in 1988; this new English version seems dependable, reads easily, and for the most part skillfully avoids translationese. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty; general. W. W. de Grummond; Florida State University