Description
Book SynopsisLysistrata is the most notorious of Aristophanes' comedies. First staged in 411 BCE, its action famously revolves around a sex strike launched by the women of Greece in an attempt to force their husbands to end the war. With its risqué humour, vibrant battle of the sexes, and themes of war and peace,
Lysistrata remains as daring and thought-provoking today as it would have been for its original audience in Classical Athens.
Aristophanes: Lysistrata is a lively and engaging introduction to this play aimed at students and scholars of classical drama alike. It sets
Lysistrata in its social and historical context, looking at key themes such as politics, religion and its provocative portrayal of women, as well as the play's language, humour and personalities, including the formidable and trailblazing Lysistrata herself.
Lysistrata has often been translated, adapted and performed in the modern era and this book also traces the ways in which it has been re-
Trade ReviewRobson succeeds throughout in combining infectious enthusiasm and dispassionate discussion with a lightness of touch and lucidity that should appeal to students, lay readers and scholars alike. A quiet relish comes across not only in his lively discussion of sexual language, and of the ins and outs of the play’s censorship history, but also in the warmth and humour of his translations of the Greek. * Times Literary Supplement *
James Robson has written a richly informative and reliable guide to one of Aristophanes’ most lively and durable comedies and, in my view, accomplished his stated goal of keeping the material at a consistently high level that is both challenging and accessible to a wide range of readers. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Maps Timeline of Ancient Events Introduction 1
Lysistrata in Context: Old Comedy and Athens in 411 BCE 2 The Action of the Play 3 People, Places and Politics 4 Laughter, Language and Logic 5
Lysistrata in the Modern World Notes Further Reading and Works Cited Index
