‘The Greek Plays’ Vs the University of Chicago Press

For more than half a century students of Greek drama have been turning to the University of Chicago Press’s The Complete Greek Tragedies for their studies.

However, one Professor who taught classic studies at Wellesley College for more than four decades is about to change the go-to compilation for Greek drama.

Professor Mary Lefkowitz has teamed up with Professor James Romm from Bard College and Penguin Random House’s Modern Library to publish a new collection of Greek tragedies titled The Greek Plays.

According to wsj.com, the project took Professor Lefkowitz some 10 years to complete and was initiated by frustration over what she referred to as “truly lousy” translations in the University of Chicago Press’s editions.

Also, she said she found the individual packaging of the plays “irritating.”

“Each play was in a different little book,” Lefkowitz said.

Now, thanks to the Penguin Random House’s Modern Library, the 16 most popular tragedies including “Medea” and “Oedipus the King,” are in one convenient volume.

It was reported by wsj.com that The University of Chicago Press responded by shrugging off the new competition as Susan Bielstein, Chicago’s executive editor asked, “It’s only 16 plays? It’s just one volume? Are they going to do other volumes? What’s the plan?” then added “I’m not particularly worried…We have slightly different objectives in mind. We are comprehensive and authoritative.”