Aristophanes and Athens: An Introduction to the Plays

This Book Provides An Accessible Introduction To Each Of Aristophanes' Plays, Focusing Particularly On Their Relationship To Athenian Politics And Life, And To The Effect That Aristophanes Hoped To Have On His Audience. All Passages Quoted From Them Are Given In New Verse Translations, And Readers Do Not Need Any Knowledge Of Greek. But Scholarly Problems Are Not Ignored, And Specialists Will Find Here Both New Suggestions And Summaries Of Different Interpretations With Recent Bibliographical Information In The Notes.--jacket. Chronological Table Of Plays -- 1. Intention And Interpretation -- 2. The Audience And Its Expectations -- 3. Early Plays -- 4. Akharnians -- 5. Horsemen -- 6. Clouds -- 7. Wasps -- 8. Peace -- 9. Birds -- 10. Lysistrata -- 11. Women At The Thesmophoria -- 12. Frogs -- 13. Women At The Assembly -- 14. Wealth -- 15. Aristophanes And Athens. Douglas M. Macdowell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [viii]-xi) And Index.