Customer Reviews

Three Comedies (Ann Arbor Paperbacks)

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Although I don't read Greek (yet--I'm working on it) I'm pretty familiar with Latin/Greek classics of all kinds in translation, and when I consider buying something new, I always check with expert classical scholars for advice & discussion--either from my alma mater, or at loxias@classicspage.com, an excellent site for those interested in the subject. The consensus is that Arrowsmith is the best with Aristophanes--he has also highly regarded transl ations of Satyricon (a fascinating and hilarious novel fragment) and several of the Tragedies originally published in the Chicago University Press series, now by Random House. So why only 4 stars? Because, frustratingly, the 3 editions of Aristophanes translated by him duplicate 2 of the plays in another!-Anyhow, others translated by Barrett & Sommerstein are worth looking at. Also "Socrates and Aristophanes" by Leo Strauss, and a book on Aristophanes' Comedy by Kenneth J Dover--and finally the article on A. in the Oxford Classical Dictionary--an indispensable reference book.

Aristophanes is undoubtedly one of the greatest playwrights that has ever walked on the face of this Earth. The 3 comedies presented in this book are The Birds, The Clouds, and The Wasps. Among the best of the comedies is The Clouds, which is pretty much a scathing satire on the philosophical beliefs of Socrates. Not only is it humorous, but also shows the flaws of Socratic ideas. It is interesting to note the comedic devices that are used in the stories. The satire is hilarious!