100 Quotes by Aeschylus unveils the musings of the originator of tragedy.

With topics such as religion, life, love, and death taken to task, Aeschylus offers the 21st-century reader an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the Ancient Greeks. However, what is surprising is just how resonant many of those ideas are today.

An outstanding book for those seeking bite-sized nuggets of timeless wisdom.

Thought to have been born in Eleusis, Aeschylus (524BC – 456BC) is the subject of both myth and legend. According to the story, at the age of 26, he was working in a vineyard. During that time, he was visited by the Greek god Dionysus, who pointed him towards the theatrical art of tragedy.

In addition to working as a playwright, he served in the Greek army, particularly in the wars against Persia, which heavily influenced his earliest works. When inducted into a secret cult surrounding the goddess, Demeter, Aeschylus revealed many of the sect’s mysteries in his scripts. As a result, he was accused of religious mockery, although acquitted at his trial.

While he has set the template for tragedians to follow, many of his works have been adapted for film and TV. Perhaps the most notable is Oresteia, starring Diana Rigg and Anton Lesser.