Professor of Philosophy publishes translation of “Antigone”

Waynesburg University professor of philosophy Dr. J. Aultman-Moore's newest translation of Sophokles' "Antigone" was recently published with Broadview Press, an independent publisher in humanities.

The book, which includes three appendices featuring other works on themes related to the play, provides an interpretive introduction, grammatical and interpretive footnotes, and an introduction to ancient Greek theater.

"I have long loved this play since I first translated it in graduate school many years ago," shared Dr. Aultman-Moore. "Along with my Ph.D. in Philosophy, I minored in Ancient Greek language in the graduate program at Loyola University of Chicago."

His inspiration for writing his recent translation came from a course his daughter was taking at Loyola University of New Orleans on the history of "Antigone."

"There have been many different 'takes' on this play, and my own earliest memory of 'Antigone' was, as a boy, seeing my father play the part of Kreon in Jean Anouilh's version of 'Antigone' (1944), when he directed drama at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York," he added.

With the publication of the book on Oct. 4, it has already garnered praise from some at other higher education institutions.

One commenter on Broadview Press' site said, "J. Aultman-Moore's translation of Antigone is like a well-conducted symphony where all the lines come alive and are illumined in the context of the whole drama. It is a delight to read, and real food for the liberal arts appetite! Aultman-Moore's introduction is crisp and informative and clearly lays out key moral and philosophical themes; it will work excellently in any undergraduate class on the Greeks, drama, philosophy, or interdisciplinary studies."

This semester, students in Dr. Aultman-Moore's Introduction to Philosophy course at Waynesburg will study his translation and how the themes weave into the subject of philosophy.

"I have taught Sophokles' 'Antigone' many times in my teaching career here at WU," he said. "It is, in fact, one of the first things I taught when I began to teach here almost 30 years ago. Because of its philosophic content, it dovetails nicely with philosophy."

Dr. Aultman-Moore received a bachelor of arts degree from Boston College, and a master of arts degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago.

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