Pasolini’s “Agamemnon”: translation, screen version and performance

The essay analyzes Pasolini's reception of Aeschylus' Agamemnon as translator, theatrical authhor and movie director, on the background of his political interpretation of neo-capitalism. In 1959 Pier Paolo Pasolini was asked by Vittorio Gassman to translate Aeschylus’ Oresteia. The translation was intended to be an essential part of an innovative project, which would have revolutionized the classic performance praxis of Syracuse’ s ‘ Festival of Ancient Drama’.1 Although Pasolini already had some juvenile experience in translating Greek poetry (for example Sappho into Friulan dialect) and tragedy, this was to be his Wrst public engagement with it. In a short essay published in the programme, the ‘ Lettera del traduttore’2 he openly discloses his method of translation. Pressed by production deadlines Organized by the National Institute of Ancient Drama (INDA). This is the most popular and long-lasting festival of Greek and Roman drama in Italy.