The Oresteia. By Aeschylus. Illustrated by Elaine Raphael and Don Bolognese. Limited Edition. Franklin Library. Franklin Center, 1980.

Often called the father of Tragedy, Aeschylus was a Greek playwright whose works have been hailed since the fifth century BC. He wrote dozens of plays in his lifetime, but only seven remain. None are more significant than the Oresteia, the original Greek trilogy. Composed of the plays Agamemnon, the Libation Bearers, and the Eumenides, the trilogy covers Agememnon’s return from the Trojan War, his assassination by Clytemnestra, Orestes’s vengeance, and the Furies’ pursuit of Orestes after he commits matricide. With all the quintessential aspects of Greek Tragedy, the Oresteia has remained popular for millennia, shaping Western literature through its influence on Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, and numerous other tragedians.

This limited edition is in fine condition. In the original leather, finely gilt stamped. Raised bands. Gilt spine label. Text block fine. Gilt edges. Silk moire endpapers and bookmark sewn in.

A fine collector’s copy of The Oresteia.