The formidable talents of Anthony Hecht, one of the most gifted of contemporary American poets, and Helen Bacon, a classical scholar, are here brought to bear on this vibrant translation of Aeschylus' much underrated tragedy
The Seven Against Thebes
. The third and only remaining play in a trilogy dealing with related events,
tells the story of the Argive attempt to claim the Kingdom of Thebes, and of the deaths of the brothers Eteocles and Polyneices, each by the others hand. Long dismissed by critics as ritualistic and lacking in dramatic tension,
Seven Against Thebes
is revealed by Hecht and Bacon as a work of great unity and drama, one exceptionally rich in symbolism and imagery.