Lysistrata (Clarendon Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Aristophanes (Author), Jeffrey Henderson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 1990 | Series: Clarendon Paperbacks

The first new edition in almost sixty years, this volume of Aristophanes' Lysistrata brings the play completely up to date with modern scholarship. It provides the first complete account of its history and contains new information about the comic theater and its social and political context. Lysistrata not only brims with topical references to social life, religion, and politics in classical Athens; it is also one of our best sources for information on the life of women in antiquity, offering a unique glimpse of their everyday life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Advanced students and scholars of Greek literature and of the Peloponnesian Wars will find this new text edition indispensable."--Religious Studies Review

"An outstanding commentary, written in a very accessible style."--William Hansen, Indiana University

"An excellent book (in both contents and layout) and a much needed one....Henderson has rendered a signal service in increasing understanding of this comic masterpiece....The accompanying commentary is thorough and enlightening, covering everything from probable staging to metrical analysis."--Choice

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Greek --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 9, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198144962
• ISBN-13: 978-0198144960
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Classic with a Modern Translation, December 13, 2002

By 

Justin Karp (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aristophanes: Lysistrata (Focus Classical Library) (Paperback)

In his comic play, Lysistrata, Aristophanes provides a fantasy account of the Peloponnesian War between the Spartans and Athenians. The women of Greece, disheartened by all of the bloodshed and damage caused by the war attempt to take the matter into their own hands. Led by Lysistrata, the women of Sparta and Athens band together and institute a sex-strike which will continue until the men agree to a cease-fire. Henderson is very liberal with his translation, which stands in contrast to some of the pruder translations from the Victorian era and even ones from this century. The play is filled with graphic sexual innuendos, which were repressed in other editions, but are fully presented here to retain the original comic power of the play. The vernacular used is modern and uninhibited, and is not recommended for young audiences (University level minimum).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars modern translation, May 23, 2011

By 

Miss K - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aristophanes: Lysistrata (Focus Classical Library) (Paperback)

I ordered this bc my high school honors class is going to read it. The translation is fabulous and totally modern and understandable, however, be warned that it is quite sexually graphic. I know the story is the same, but I guess it seems more raunchy in this version as compared to a more classical translation. Regardless of this, I personally LOVED the story as portrayed here and even read excerpts to my classes to help them understand different parts. This is a great and hilarious read, but definitely for adults :)

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete book, May 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lysistrata (Clarendon Paperbacks) (Paperback)

I think this is the best presentation of a Greek text, because there is a good introduction, a lot of help behind in the book, but no translation. So this is the ideal Lysistrata for students.