Thyestes, Seneca - Reading Greek Tragedy Online
Channel: The Center for Hellenic Studies
Date: 2021-02-25

A reading and discussion of Seneca’s Thyestes, hosted by Joel Christensen (Brandeis University) with special guest Helen Slaney (La Trobe University). The cast includes Tim Delap, Evelyn Miller, Paul O’Mahony, David Rubin, Sara Valentine.

Translation by Paul Murgatroyd, used with author’s permission: https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/MurgatroydSenecaThyestes.php

Reading Greek Tragedy Online is presented by the Center for Hellenic Studies (https://chs.harvard.edu/), the Kosmos Society (https://kosmossociety.chs.harvard.edu/), and Out of Chaos Theatre (https://www.out-of-chaos.co.uk/). For more information about outreach opportunities through the Reading Greek Tragedy Online project, contact outofchaosplays@gmail.com. To learn about the Medea scene competition, visit: https://www.out-of-chaos.co.uk/playingmedea. To support Out of Chaos Theatre, visit https://fundrazr.com/b1oWw3?ref=ab_6ACAcc.

Scene selections:
ACT ONE (1–121) – Ghost of Tantalus, Fury
ACT TWO (176–335) – Atreus, Attendant
ACT THREE (404–545) – Thyestes, Tantalus, Atreus
ACT FOUR (623–788) – Messenger, Chorus Leader
ACT FIVE (885–1112) – Atreus, Thyestes

Credits:
GHOST OF TANTALUS (grandfather of Atreus and Thyestes) – Paul O’Mahony
FURY (a goddess from the Underworld) – Evelyn Miller
ATREUS (king of Argos) – Sara Valentine
ATTENDANT to Atreus – Paul O’Mahony
THYESTES (exiled brother of Atreus) – David Rubin
TANTALUS (son of Thyestes) – Evelyn Miller
MESSENGER –Tim Delap 

Director - Paul O'Mahony

More information about the cast and featured speakers can be found at https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/7081

Suggestions for further reading:

1. Seneca, the fat-cat philosopher, by Emily Wilson (The Guardian): https://tinyurl.com/senecafatcatwilson

2. Incest, Cannibalism, and the Gods: The Rise of the House of Atreus by Michael Kinnucan (The Hypocrite Reader): https://hypocritereader.com/4/incest-cannibalism-and-the-gods

3. Revenge Served Hot: Seneca's Thyestes by Erica Bexley (Durham Research Online): https://dro.dur.ac.uk/23028/2/

4. Reception of Senecan Tragedy by Helen Slaney (Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama, University of Oxford): http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/learning/short-guides/reception-of-senecan-tragedy

Don't forget to check out Helen Slaney's latest book "The Senecan Aesthetic: A  Performance History": https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-senecan-aesthetic-9780198736769?cc=au&lang=en&