On Vegemite and Greek tragedy: translating the chorus

Presented by the Friends of the ANU Classics Museum Greek tragedy remains one of the most popular cultural productions of ancient Greece yet also one of the strangest. Moreover, the tragic chorus is both the strangest and the most important single element of tragedy. In this talk, Dr Perris discusses how tragic choruses actually worked, why they were culturally significant (like Vegemite!), and why they are so hard to 'translate' onto the contemporary page and stage. He will review some recent attempts to deal with the 'problem of the chorus'. Dr Simon Perris is Senior Lecturer in Classics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where he teaches Classical languages, literature, and culture. His research focuses on two areas: Greek tragedy, principally the works of Euripides, and the reception of classical antiquity in modern culture. He has published a number of articles in both these fields, and is currently completing a book on English translations of Euripides' Bakkhai, entitled The Gentle, Jealous God: Reading Euripides' Bakkhai in English (forthcoming 2016, Bloomsbury). Supper in the Museum will follow the talk, when our items of merchandise will be available, all sales of which help us acquire further items for the Museum. Please note the change from our usual Thursday to Wednesday, 20 May, and the change of venue to the Engineering Lecture Theatre, across Sullivan’s Creek. Please go to http://slll.cass.anu.edu.au for further information. However, supper after the lecture will be in our usual venue, our beautiful museum, where merchandise and raffle tickets will be on sale. These activities help in raising funds for the Museum, and your support is greatly appreciated.