NOTE: This two-part series will take place on the evenings of November 13 and 20. Signing up for the 13th automatically registers you for the 20th, and participants agree to attend both sessions. See below for more details.

Spice up your season with a two-part journey into a timeless Greek tragedy!

We know from The Iliad and The Odyssey, two epic poems written by Homer, that the Greek warrior king Agamemnon survived the Trojan War, only to be murdered by his wife when he returned home. What we don’t know from Homer is why she killed him. The playwright Aeschylus, the "Father of Greek Tragedy," told the story on stage in his play, Agamemnon, casting the wife, Clytemnestra, in the role of unrepentant murderess, shameless adulterer, and astute social critic. Did Agamemnon’s actions lead to his demise, or was his fate sealed long before?

In the first of this two-part series, participants will get a crash course in ancient Greek tragedy: the historical, mythological, and literary background necessary to understand and appreciate the play. We'll also read the beginning of the play together, aloud. Participants will read the rest of the play on their own before returning for a second session, in which we'll discuss key passages and the work as a whole. Aeschylus's themes of war and religion, power and violence, and the battle of the sexes, are as relevant as ever.

Your guide on this journey will be Ellen Finnigan, who teaches ancient literature online through her company, Teach to the Text. We'll read the version of the play translated by Philip Vellacott. A PDF version is attached here, and we'll have copies for participants who need them at the first session.

The series will take place on the following dates and times:

• Thursday, November 13, from 6:15-7:45 PM in the Hondius Community Room
• Thursday, November 20, from 6:15-7:45 PM in the Wasson Board Room

Registration is required to ensure that we have enough participants to run the series. Signing up for the November 13 session automatically registers you for the November 20 session, and participants agree to attend both sessions.