The first volume of my translations of Sophocles, published in 2015, collected what I think of as his four ‘male’ tragedies. This one contains the three ‘female’ tragedies, each named after their key character (which has called for the change of the traditional title Women of Trachis to Deianeira). I first conceived the ambition of translating Sophocles into verse as a student when I embarked on Antigone (inevitably!). At that time, more than 50 years ago, this kind of version would probably have been regarded as rather ‘free’: these days it might seem relatively ‘close’. In any case, something that I hope distinguishes it from most other translations of whatever kind of relationship to Sophocles is the attempt to infuse some inherent musicality and colour into the language, especially (but not only) in the lyric passages. To realize how this works I urge readers to sound it out aloud, or even better perform it in a group. Best of all would be to stage it with music.
I have much to be grateful for, and there are some people I would especially like to thank. These include Karen Raith, Henry Clarke, Lisa Eaton, and Peter Gibbs for their roles in the production of the book for the Press. I take the opportunity to acknowledge four friends who are also exemplars of scholarship to emulate: Pat Easterling, Fiona Macintosh, Peter Wilson, and Felix Budelmann. At home, Charis has been an ever-changing source of fresh ideas, and Beaty has been a constant encourager and a sensitive sounding-board. The dedication names friends who have remained close even though on the other side of the globe.
O.T.
At the time of coronavirus