Writing at a time when Athens was undergoing a crisis in its social attitudes, Aristophanes was an eloquent opponent of the demagogue and the sophist. This collection includes "Lysistrata", the hilariously bawdy anti-war fantasy; "The Acharnians", a plea for peace set against the background of the long war with Sparta; and "The Clouds", a satire on contemporary philosophy.

About the Author

Aristophanes (c.448-c.385 BC), a contemporary of Socrates, was the last and greatest of the Old Attic comedians. He wrote at least 40 plays, of which 11 survived through the Middle Ages to be read and performed today. Alan Sommerstein is Head of Classics Department at Nottingham. He has translated many of Aristophanes' plays and is the author of Greek Drama & Dramatists (2002)