Theatrical reading - Theatre of War: The Persians
Listen to The Persians, the first theatre play in European history. A 2500-year-old text by Aeschylus about an imperialistic king trying to crush Greek democracies. Performed by actors Victoria Koblenko, Gijs Scholten van Aschat, Janni Goslinga and Hans Croiset. Language: Dutch
Theatrical reading - Theatre of War: The Persians
The Persians
The Persian court is awaiting news from their army. Under the leadership of emperor Xerxes, the country’s military troops left Persia to fight a battle at sea. They receive the worst possible news: their entire fleet is crushed by the much smaller Greek forces.
The ancient writer Aeschylus, who served as a soldier in the Greek army against the invading Persians, decided not to glorify the Greeks’ military might, but attempted to give words to the perspective of the defeated enemy. To what extent are these 2500-year-old words recognizable to those who are experiencing the reality of today’s brutal war? After the performance, the audience will be invited to reflect on what Aeschylus’ text tells us today.