This translation is intended primarily for classroom use. It is aimed first of all at being clear and true to the basic meaning of the text. After that Paul Woodruff has tried to bring across some of the beauty of poetry given the chorus as well as the rhetorical power and cleverness of the dialogue and speeches. The translation of this play through manuscript is unusually troublesome; many lines seem to have fallen out during copying and storage over the centuries and many errors have been introduced Although the author has supplied a few lines to fill small gaps where the meaning is obvious, he has not devised speeches to make up for the lost passages at the end; instead the author has included an appendix with the main evidence that pertains to them.