The Persians Summary
Aeschylus

Persians Persians are people of Indo-European or Aryan origin that moved to the Iranian plateau from the east. The word "Persian" comes from the Persian word Parsa (its Arabic form is Fa... Read more

Biography EssayIn the city of Athens in the fifth century B.C., Aeschylus, the Father of Tragedy, developed a spectacle in which choral song and dance alternated with solo speeches into one of the maj... Read more

In the city of Athens in the fifth century B.C., Aeschylus, the Father of Tragedy, developed a spectacle in which choral song and dance alternated with solo speeches into one of the major genres of wo... Read more

In the excerpt below, Murray surveys the structure and themes of Persians. [The Persae] is not only a play: it is a direct historical record of one of the great events that have decided the destiny... Read more

In the following essay, Podlecki explains the historical and political significance of the actions taken by the general and politician Themistocles as well as what influence these had in shaping the P... Read more

In the following essay, Herington summarizes the Persian Wars—explaining that Aeschylus's accounts of them are more those of a poet than a historian's—as well as describes ... Read more

In the following excerpt, Murray contends that in addition to being one of the earliest plays by Aeschylus, the Persians is also significant because of the historical record it contains, making high p... Read more

In the following essay, Beck explores the Greek moral code and how Aeschylus treated it in his plays. “Zeus, who guided men to think // who had laid it down that wisdom // comes alone throug... Read more

In the following essays, Spatz discusses Aeschylus's life, his society, and the state of theater in his time, and provides an overview of the Persians, including analyses of its staging, dictio... Read more