ABSTRACT
The first translation into English of Suppliants was in 1781 by the Rev. Robert Potter as Supplicants. Potter was a seasoned translator by this time, having produced the first full English Aeschylus four years before. Potter completed his run of eighteen the following year and a depth comparison between the two translators would make an intriguing study in its own right. Potter offers nothing more than the identification of those present in any scene, but most subsequent translators of plays from the classical repertoire up to the most modern do give a version of the stage action from their own imagination. The potential for stage action may well be deeply embedded within the spoken text. The history of the translation of classical plays goes back to the Romans, but almost nothing survives of the first tragedies in Latin apart from titles. The final issue addressed by these first translators is the individuality of the playwrights.
