The Persians

The Persians was written in 472 B.C. and chronicles the Battle of Salamis, one of the most significant battles in world history. It was the turning point in the Persian Empire’s downfall and allowed the Greeks–and, therefore, the West’s first experiment with democracy–to survive. Aeschylus, a veteran of the Persian Wars, recounts the battle from the viewpoint of the vanquished Persians, creating an empathetic narrative of their loss.

Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation was commissioned in 2003 by Tony Randall and the National Actors Theatre, and has since been produced in several locations around the country, including Washington, D.C.