The Importance of the Markantonatos Edition

Professor Andreas Markantonatos’ annotated edition of *Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus* stands as both a scholarly and cultural achievement. Combining rigorous philology with interpretive sensitivity, it offers readers a renewed understanding of Sophocles’ art and vision. The Introduction situates the play within the evolving Theban myth, tracing its roots from early epic to Athenian ritual. The commentary illuminates linguistic nuances, textual variants, and dramatic technique with precision and elegance. More importantly, Markantonatos restores Oedipus at Colonus to its moral and civic context, showing how the drama reflects the values and anxieties of fifth-century Athens while transcending them through universal compassion. His translation captures the music and clarity of Sophoclean Greek without sacrificing depth. In his hands, the play becomes not merely a relic of the past but a living text—an encounter between ancient wisdom and modern conscience. This edition reminds us that the classics endure not because they are old, but because they continue to teach us how to be human.