{"product_id":"book-1afg","title":"Seneca's Tragedies: Thyestes \u0026 Oedipus","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFull-cast productions of Seneca's most famous tragedies, plus letters from the Roman philosopher \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eread by Paul Scofield\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStoic philosopher and playwright Lucius Annaeus Seneca lived through the reigns of Caligula and Claudius, and was tutor and adviser to Nero, before his untimely suicide in AD65. His gory, outrageous tragedy \u003ci\u003eThyestes\u003c\/i\u003e inspired Shakespeare's \u003ci\u003eTitus Andronicus\u003c\/i\u003e, and is widely considered his masterpiece. It opens this collection, which also includes his classic \u003ci\u003eOedipus\u003c\/i\u003e, a selection of his correspondence and two special documentary programmes exploring the man and his life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThyestes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Brothers Atreus and Thyestes have fought a long and bitter civil war. After seducing Atreus' wife and stealing the golden ram of kingship, Thyestes is defeated and banished. A pretend offer of friendship sees him returning home with his three sons, ostensibly to share the throne of Argos - but in reality, Atreus Is plotting a horrifying act of revenge. \u003cb\u003eDenis Quilley\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eRichard Pasco\u003c\/b\u003e star as Thyestes and Atreus, wih \u003cb\u003eAnton Lesser\u003c\/b\u003e as the Messenger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOedipus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e -\u003c\/i\u003e Cursed by the gods, Oedipus flees his native city of Corinth for Thebes. There, he solves the riddle of the Sphinx, is proclaimed King and marries Queen Jocasta. But when the city is struck by drought and a deadly plague, he is faced with a new riddle: and the answer spells his own doom… Seneca's reworking of the Ancient Greek legend is adapted by onetime Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, and stars \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eSiân Phillips\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeneca's Letters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e -\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cb\u003ePaul Scofield\u003c\/b\u003e reads a selection of Seneca's lively, humorous philosophical letters to his young friend Lucilius, in which he discurses on topics including the evils of crowds, the pleasures of old age, the perils of drunkenness, the folly of wanderlust and the part played by philosophy in advancing civilization.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIs Seneca Possible?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e -\u003c\/i\u003e In a personal reflection on the celebrated playwright, poet James Fenton attempts to put him into historical context. T S Eliot asserted that Seneca 'created his own genre', but with so few examples of Roman tragedy remaining, has our view been distorted by the drama we've lost?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn Our Time: Seneca the Younger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e -\u003c\/i\u003e Melvyn Bragg and guests Mary Beard, Catharine Edwards and Alessandro Schiesaro discuss Seneca, reflecting on his status as one of the first great writers born in the new Roman empire after the fall of the Republic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNB: Contains strong language\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThyestes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThyestes - \u003cb\u003eDenis Quilley\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAtreus - \u003cb\u003eRichard Pasco\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Messenger - \u003cb\u003eAnton Lesser\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFury - \u003cb\u003eHugh Dickson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGhost of Tantalus - \u003cb\u003eDavid March\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCourtier - \u003cb\u003eAnthony Newlands\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTantalus, Thyestes' son - \u003cb\u003eCrawford Logan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis brothers - \u003cb\u003eStuart Organ \u0026amp; Simon Hewitt\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeneca - \u003cb\u003ePeter Tuddenham\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChorus - \u003cb\u003eHugh Dickson, David Gooderson, Simon Hewitt, Anton Lesser, Crawford Logan, Stuart Organ, Richard Pasco, Denis Quilley, Peter Tuddenham\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eOedipus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOedipus - \u003cb\u003eMartin Jarvis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJocasta - \u003cb\u003eSi\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eâ\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003en Phillips\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCreon - \u003cb\u003eJohn Rowe\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTiresias - \u003cb\u003eHugh Dickson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eManto - \u003cb\u003eFrances Jeater\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCorinthian Messenger - \u003cb\u003eNigel Graham\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePhorbas - \u003cb\u003eTimothy Bateson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTheban Slave - \u003cb\u003eDavid Gooderson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChorus Leader - \u003cb\u003eStephen Thorne\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChorus - \u003cb\u003eJames Bryce, Jill Lidstone, David Peart, Jean Trend, David Gooderson, Nigel Graham, Timothy Bateson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeneca's Letters\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e1:\u003c\/b\u003e Avoid the Crowds; Befriend Your Slaves\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e2: \u003c\/b\u003eThe Pleasures of Old Age\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e3: \u003c\/b\u003eWorldly Noise and the Tranquil Mind\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e4: \u003c\/b\u003eThoughts in a Dark Tunnel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e5: \u003c\/b\u003ePhilosophy v Daily Trivialities\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIs Seneca Possible?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented by James Fenton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn Our Time: Seneca the Younger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented by Melvyn Bragg\u003cbr\u003eWith Mary Beard, Catharine Edwards and Alessandro Schiesaro\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Simon Tillotson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 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