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Lysistrata (Focus Classical Library) by [Aristophanes, Jeffrey Henderson]

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Phil Willmott

Aristophanes

Lysistrata (Focus Classical Library) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Aristophanes (Author), Jeffrey Henderson (Editor, Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

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This English translation of Aristophanes’ most popular comedy will appeal to the modern reader because of its lively and imaginative plot, memorable heroine, good jokes, and appeal for peace and tolerance between nations and between the sexes. This edition includes background material on the historical and cultural context of this work, suggestions for further reading, notes, and a map. The Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture and the roots of contemporary thought.

ISBN-13

978-0941051026
Edition

1st
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Focus
Publication date

March 29, 2012
Language

English
File size

780 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Aristophanes wrote Lysistrata in 411 B.C., when Athens was enmeshed in the decades-long Peloponnesian War; it has retained its popularity as a statement against war.

-- "Washington Post"

Aristophanes' urtext for the battle of the sexes has inspired so many reimaginings and adaptations that putting them all up at the same time would probably fill a small nation-state.

-- "Chicago Tribune"

The Graces chose his soul for their abode.

-- "Plato, praise for the author" --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

Aristophanes was born, probably in Athens, c. 449 BC and died between 386 and 380 BC. Little is known about his life, but there is a portrait of him in Plato's Symposium. He was twice threatened with prosecution in the 420s for his outspoken attacks on the prominent politician Cleon, but in 405 he was publicly honored and crowned for promoting Athenian civic unity in The Frogs. Aristophanes had his first comedy produced when he was about twenty-one, and wrote forty plays in all. The eleven surviving plays of Aristophanes are published in the Penguin Classics series as The Birds and Other Plays, Lysistrata and Other Plays, and The Wasps/The Poet and the Women/The Frogs. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Henderson’s English translation of Lysistrata, the most popular of Aristophanes' plays, appeals to the modern reader because of its lively and imaginative plot, strong and memorable heroine, good jokes, and appeal for peace and tolerance between nations and between the sexes. Jeffrey Henderson, noted Greek scholar, puts the work in historical and cultural context in his comprehensive introduction. Suggestions for further reading, notes, and map are also included. This Focus Classical Library translation of Lysistrata has been staged numerous times.

"Henderson’s Lysistrata is lively, cheerfully vulgar, and genuinely funny . . ."
— Philip Holt, The Classical Outlook

The Focus Classical Library is dedicated to providing modern students with the best of Classical literature in contemporary translations with notes and introductions to provide access to the culture and context at the roots of contemporary thought.

Dr. Jeffrey Henderson is the William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of Greek at Boston University. He is the author of groundbreaking translations and articles on Greek comic dramatists. His other translations for Focus Classical Library include Aristophanes: Frogs (2008), Aristophanes: Acharnians 2e (1992), Aristophanes:Clouds (1993), Aristophanes: Three Comedies: Acharnians, Lysistrata, Clouds (1997), and Aristophanes: Birds (1999).

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

Designed for school districts, educators, and students seeking to maximize performance on standardized tests, Webster’s paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in English courses. By using a running thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this edition of Lysistrata by Aristophanes was edited for students who are actively building their vocabularies in anticipation of taking PSAT®, SAT®, AP® (Advanced Placement®), GRE®, LSAT®, GMAT® or similar examinations.

PSAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation neither of which sponsors or endorses this book; SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Board which neither sponsors nor endorses this book; GRE®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which neither sponsors nor endorses this book, GMAT® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admissions Council which is neither affiliated with this book nor endorses this book, LSAT® is a registered trademark of the Law School Admissions Council which neither sponsors nor endorses this product. All rights reserved.

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

These are highly recommended wherever there is an interest in classical drama. (Kliatt Paperback Review) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Webster’s edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of synonyms and antonyms for difficult and often ambiguous English words that are encountered in other works of literature, conversation, or academic examinations. Extremely rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are given lower priority in the notes compared to words which are "difficult, and often encountered" in examinations. Rather than supply a single synonym, many are provided for a variety of meanings, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of the English language, and avoid using the notes as a pure crutch. Having the reader decipher a word’s meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. If a difficult word is not noted on a page, chances are that it has been highlighted on a previous page. A more complete thesaurus is supplied at the end of the book; Synonyms and antonyms are extracted from Webster’s Online Dictionary. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00PRHFW0Y
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Focus; 1st edition (March 29, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 29, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 780 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 90 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0941051021

Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,588 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #339 in Greek & Roman Drama
- #350 in Classical & Early Drama & Plays
- #1,145 in Ancient & Classical Dramas & Plays

Customer Reviews:
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

482 global ratings

5 star		69%
4 star		15%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

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Reinold F.

Liked it very much: replying the war with a smile; although I have a few doubts about the translation. (Amazon Classics Edition)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 5, 2018

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The story and the writing and the presence of phrases we use today (I really hope they are not an inclusion of the translator) can give a tricky sensation that the story has been written at most one hundred of years ago and not the two and half millennia that it has (!). The story is about a way that the heroine, Lysistrata, has devised to end the war that men have waged, the funny thing is that her reason to ideate her plan is the, mostly erotic, longing she feels for not being able to be with his man, and this is the reason the women of Greece accept to back her plan.

It is not a war of sexes as the motivation is not to prove which side is the strongest; is rather a way to reunite women and men separated in love by the long war. Also I notice some observations about the government in times of Aristophanes.

The translation is what almost gave me reason to give three stars to the book, this because as I am not native English speaker the Scottish accent given to the Spartans seems to me out of place and tiring to decode. Other point that makes me dubious of the work of the translator is if he decided to give a contemporary accent to Spartans thus what guaranty one could have that he has not introduced modern phrases to replace old ones... Finally I believe that with works so ancient is better to use a modern English than one that looks artificially old and disguises the natural poetry with anachronistic clothes. But then again this is a personal observation that could be no usual with the uses in English language.

7 people found this helpful

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Scott Hoffman

For a good time - Read this translation

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 9, 2016

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Let me start by saying that I am not a classics scholar. I have no knowledge of Greek, and the last time I studied Latin was as a high school sophomore thirty five years ago. I am, however, a student of rabbinic literature, and anxious to understand the Greco-Roman milieu from which Rabbinic Judaism emerged. I also am anxious to know how these plays were performed orally, in front of a live audience. To that end, I have always preferred colloquial translations to more formal ones. And this translation certainly fits the bill, providing lots of "colorful" language. While I suspect that purists will find this approach off-putting, I personally find it exhilarating. Remember that we are talking about a comedy show, performed in front of a largely illiterate audience, and perhaps accompanied by imbibing copious amounts of wine. Bawdy? Yes. Off color in places? Yes. But a rollicking good time - yes! No wonder that in Providence, not far from my son's school (URI), they did a series of performances of Lysistrata - which audiences loved. I hope they used this text, or one which is very similar.

10 people found this helpful

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Stephen D Jervey

Earthy translation, even in rhyme

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 11, 2021

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This translation really captures the thoroughly earthy tone of Aristophanes and left me wondering about the ancient performers. Were women included in the cast and, if not, how did the males perform convincingly. This quick read is also illustrated in a style half Greek and half something like art deco.

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Michael J. Moore

A randy look at greek history

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 13, 2000

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Lysistrata, wife of an influential Athenian has had it with 20+ years of war with Sparta and calls on her sisters from around Greece (including Sparta) to plot to end the war once and for all. The two-pronged plan is elegant in its simplicity: take over the treasury so that no more money can be spent on war, and deny their husbands marital congress until they agree to make peace with each other. The beauty of the play (and what makes it enjoyable to the 21st century reader) is that it speaks to the most basic needs of the human condition while allowing the reader to freely translate the action to modern times. Part of the fun is envisioning the staging of this play - the battle between the women and the graybeards (a slightly distressing scene since my acquisition of an AARP card) - and the approach of the envoys for the peace talks whose obvious sexual distress assures the women of the impending success of their plan provoked an image that actually had me laughing out loud. All in all, it helps support the notion that the classics can be (and should be) fun.

11 people found this helpful

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J

Very close to home.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 25, 2020

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I swear my wife read this play but I know she hasn't. It must be feminine instinct. Loved the story. Still apropos.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 2, 2021

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Quick read, super funny story. The power of the puss is real. I definitely need to see this as a live stage play.

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Reg Gaet

Aristophanes greatest comedy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 15, 2021

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A masterpiece and a sign for those time. A new role for women in the ancient greek society.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 15, 2011

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This was the first book I needed to read for my assignement and was highly entertained. I like that women play major roles in this play, but am not thrilled with all the preoccupation with Sex. It makes the story seem almost juvenille in a way because that is all that is on everyone's mind. I also read a Bio about Aristophanes which put the whole thing in perspective.

2 people found this helpful

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M. Dowden

Arise – Oh Women!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 28, 2018

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Known as the ‘Father of Comedy’ Aristophanes wrote many comic plays in his lifetime, although only eleven now remain in their entirety for us to enjoy. Although comical this does have a serious point to make, and thus does have a feminist dose in its telling.

As the Peloponnesian War grinds on so the women on both sides become fed up with it all. Their men are off fighting, and when they come home it is for sex and for getting the women to care for them. For Lysistrata though enough is enough, and thus she comes up with a plan to end the interminable warring. If all the women withhold their favours then the men will be faced with having to do everything themselves, from looking after the babies, the cleaning and every other chore. They would then become too busy to go around fighting. But will her plan work, and will the other women carry it out?

There is innuendo here and a lot of humour, and in today’s world there is certainly a feeling of girl power, although the Greeks wouldn’t have seen this, and there are at times certain elements that show this. There are after all some women who are as horny as the men and need some entertainment, and thus a bit of infighting between the females, so this which was written by a man is not about doing away with a patriarchal society, also some take this play as being anti-war and pacifist, but when you read it you do not see that here. There is no mention of stopping war for all time, instead this is about a particular and rather long war, which all of us can understand would have been punishing on both sides.

At the end of the day then you can take certain themes from this and extrapolate them, but on the other hand you can just sit back and enjoy what is a very entertaining comedy, with sex and gender at the heart of the plot.

2 people found this helpful

ChrisG

Read this and weep with laughter. Great comedy never dies

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 21, 2014

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This extraordinary play by master satirist Aristophanes blew my mind when I first read it years ago. It is the story of how the women of Athens try to end the war with Sparta....by a sex strike! A simple, inspired and comic idea, and what a pity no-one ever took up the idea, or we would have a peaceable planet.

Brilliant funny, humane and a reflection on war sex and men. It is well worth reading.

3 people found this helpful

Miranda J

Neat little book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

Handy sized and easy to transport, this is a nifty little version of the play; I studied it many years ago and have subsequently lost my original copy, and our drama group is thinking of putting it on next year, so I wanted a cheap copy to refresh my memory. This does the trick nicely.

Danny Maguire

Useless

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 15, 2016

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I got this to study for my first year english degree and this book lacks all of the stage directions, which are pretty important for you to understand what is actually going on. The translation is also more complicated than other versions I've seem.

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