The Plays of Aristophanes (425 BC-388 BC) is a collection of comedies
by Athenian playwright Aristophanes. Noted for his exploration of
fantasy, sexuality, and contemporary politics, Aristophanes was a
leading figure in Old Attic Comedy whose award-winning plays continue to
delight and inspire nearly 2,500 years after they were first performed.
This collection includes some of his best-known work, showcasing his
talent as an unmatched humorist and shrewd social commentator whose
words drew ire from Athenian general Cleon, Socrates, and Plato. In The
Clouds, an indebted Athenian aristocrat enters a philosophical school
despite his advanced age in order to sharpen his argumentative skills.
There, he learns the recent teachings of Socrates and gets a chance to
meet the legendary figure himself. Despite his earnest desire for
enlightenment, Strepsiades proves shockingly inept and is forced to beg
his young son for help. The Birds follows a pair of middle-aged men on
a walk through the wilderness, where they encounter a former king who
has been transformed into a bird. When a group of enraged birds holds
them captive, suspecting the men of ill-intent, the two devise a plan to
inspire the birds to challenge the Olympians and assert their power in
the universal order. In Lystistrata, the title heroine leads a
courageous campaign to put an end to the brutal Peloponnesian War. Her
bold plan involves encouraging women throughout the warring city states
of Greece to withhold sex from men until the violence is stopped. The
Plays of Aristophanes is an invaluable collection of comedies from a
leading playwright of Ancient Greece, a man whose work has survived for
centuries while inspiring countless writers, readers, and audiences
around the world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of Aristophanes' The Plays of
Aristophanes is a classic of Ancient Greek literature reimagined for
modern readers.
