Acknowledgments
My interest in the Alcestis goes back many years. I took a seminar on the play with Ruth Scodel in graduate school, and my earliest publication was a note on the echoes of Alcestis’s death in her return to Admetus. Work began on this project in earnest during the fall semester of 2019, while I was on sabbatical, graciously provided by William & Mary for 2019-20. After several long stints as an academic administrator, I had the pleasure of spending the fall months as a Senior Visiting Scholar at Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D. C. I want to thank the fellows, staff, and the director, Greg Nagy, for making my time there most agreeable, almost Elysian. I have benefitted greatly from previous scholarship on this play, especially the editions of A. M. Dale, James Diggle, L. P. E. Parker, and (with translation) David Kovacs. Books and articles cited or that I found particularly helpful are listed in the bibliography.
While teaching over the past few years, I have received feedback on earlier versions of the translation and notes from my intermediate Greek classes in spring 2022 and 2023 and my first-year seminar, “Temporary Like Achilles,” in fall 2023. I profited from and greatly appreciate my students’ comments, queries, and suggestions. Joseph Amsbary (William & Mary ’24) carefully reviewed the entire penultimate version caught numerous typos, raised many questions, and offered several improvements. My own first Greek teacher, Bill McCulloh, kindly read an early draft of the translation and improved it with his subtle observations and probing questions.
The Classical Studies Department at William & Mary is a wonderfully congenial environment for teaching and scholarship, and I am grateful to all my colleagues for welcoming me back to the fold. More specifically, Mitch Brown read a late version of the essay, and it is better for his comments and fine sense of Greek drama. Jess Paga provided me a sketch of the fifth-century Athenian theater, modified from an original drawing by Caleb Lightfoot. I am grateful to her also for several discussions on the physical theater. Molly Swetnam-Burland discussed with me possible images for the cover. Much of the material in the Introduction (most of sections 1 and 2) appeared in my earlier publications and is reprinted here with the permission of Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.; all rights reserved. The final production of this project was carried out at William & Mary under the expert and encouraging guidance of Rosie Liljenquist, Publishing and Open Access Librarian at William & Mary, and it is published by William & Mary Press through an open access platform.
My most profound and happiest debt is owed to my wife, Erin Halleran. She has discussed with me all aspects of this play—off and on—since I first became interested in it. She read more than one version of the translation, notes, introduction, and essay, and improved all of it with her unerring eye and impeccable sense of language. She has lovingly encouraged me in this—and in everything for over fifty years. It is only fitting that I dedicate this work with boundless love to my sweet Erin, best of wives, best of women.
June 16, 2024
