BookRecommended
The Oresteia
Aeschylus, translated by Ted Hughes
458 BC, this translation 1999
The only complete tragic trilogy to survive from ancient Athens, in a raw and powerful version by a great poet.
Read the reviewThe Republic begins with a simple question, what is justice, and ends up covering almost everything: education, art, the soul, the nature of reality and the ideal state. It contains some of Plato’s most famous ideas, including the philosopher-kings, the Theory of Forms and the allegory of the cave.
Desmond Lee’s translation for Penguin Classics has been a favourite of students for decades because it is clear and unfussy, with helpful summaries and headings that make the argument easier to follow.
Modern readers will find a great deal to argue with. Plato’s ideal city is authoritarian, censors poets and controls family life. But arguing with Plato is exactly the point, and few books are as good at making you think.
Our verdict
Challenging but essential. Read it slowly, with a pencil in hand.
Every review reflects the personal perspective of the Hellenic Heritage Club.
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- BookRecommended
The Iliad
Homer, translated by Robert Fagles
c. 8th century BC, this translation 1990A towering poem about rage, grief and mortality, in a translation that reads with real urgency.
Read the review - BookRecommended
The Odyssey
Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
c. 8th century BC, this translation 2017Odysseus’ long voyage home, in a fresh and plain-spoken translation that is a joy to read.
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