The Peace of Aristophanes (Classic Reprint)

THE PLAY 3 by-scenes little more irrelevant than is usually the case in Aristophanes. The political ideas which run through the play are those which we have learned to expect from the author. Extreme democracy is hateful to him, as ever; the dead Cleon1 and the living Hyperbolus2 are alike lashed, and the memory of Pericles the Olympian does not escape.3 To oligarchs and their creed he makes no reference, nor is there in any of his plays a trace of oligarchic sympathies.4 Though no doubt he belonged to the " middle party,"5 he does not trouble to mention a single statesman who agreed with him ; the name of Nicias, which must have loomed very large at the moment, does not occur once in the play. Aristophanes knows very well himself what he wants. He yearns to see the end of the narrow-minded bickerings between Hellene and Hellene, of the fratricidal war between Athens and Sparta, who might together rule Hellas in amity.6 The poet makes it plain from the first that the mission of Tr

Table of Contents

CONTENTS; PACK; INTRODUCTION-; I THE PLAY i; II THE QUESTION OF A SECOND EDITION 7; III THE SCENIC ARRANGEMENTS OF THE PEACE 16; IV THE MANUSCRIPTS 31; ANCIENT ARGUMENTS TO THE PEACE 53; DRAMATIS PERSONAE 56; TEXT AND NOTES 57; INDICES-; I GREEK 177; II ENGLISH 185

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