Seneca's Oedipus is a work of exceptional historical and dramatic interest. It is the only surviving ancient Roman play on one of the most important and enduring myths of European intellectual history. It is poetically experimental, intellectually complex, and theatrically spectacular; its themes include the psychology of guilt, fear and reason, the ethics and limits of power, the order of fate and history, and the nature of tragic theatre. The impact of Seneca's Oedipus on the European dramatic tradition has been immense. This is the first full-scale critical edition with commentary to appear in English. It aims to elucidate the text dramatically as well as philologically, and to locate it firmly in its historical and theatrical context and, since it is especially attentive to the play's reception, in the ensuing literary and dramatic tradition. The verse translation is designed for both performance and serious study.

About the Author
A. J. Boyle is Professor of Classics at the University of Southern California.

Reviews
Boyle's commentary offers a fresh view of this play that reveals Senecas own fresh interpretation of the Oedipus myth. When he needs to prove a point, Boyle is concise and clear in his argumentation and, when commenting on passages, he is fluid in moving between grammatical/syntactical details and meatier subjects. The notes offer a rich supply of pertinent information and will be of great use to scholars working on the play. * Christopher Trinacty, Bryn Mawr Classical Review31/10/2012 *
The first English commentary on Seneca's Oedipus has been written by A. J. Boyle, probably the best contemporary authority on Seneca's tragedies ... The commentary, literally packed with information of all kinds, is astonishing ... Boyle's masterly work will be difficult to surmount. * Eva Stehlikova, Listy Filologicke *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199660506
Author A. J. Boyle
Format Paperback
Page Count 568
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 698g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 139mm * 30mm