Description

Franklin Library leather edition of Aristophanes' "Five Comedies," Translated by Benjamin Bickley Rogers, Illustrated by Laszlo Matulay, a Limited edition, one of the 100 GREATEST BOOKS OF ALL TIME series, published in 1982. Bound in black leather, the book has gold French moire silk end leaves, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, satin book marker, hubbed spine, gold gilding on three edges---in near FINE condition. Five comedies: "The Knights," "The Clouds," "The Birds," "The Frogs," and my favorite: "Lysistrata, first produced in 411 BC. This was an alarming time for Athens: the Athenian expedition to Sicily had ended in disaster in 413 BC, a large part of her empire was in revolt, and her enemy SPARTA had made an advantageous alliance with the Persians. When the men failed to bring the war to an end, it occurs to Lysistrata that the women should take control of affairs and force a peace, first by refusing sexual relations, and secondly by getting possession of the Acropolis and the state's reserve of money in the Parthenon, without which the Athenian war-effort would collapse. Lysistrata gets the women together, including LAMPITO from Sparta and women from the other enemy states. After some reluctance they all concur with her scheme and swear to refuse to have sex with their husbands----regardless of how much the men beg or how much the women desire to pleasure the men. A chorus of old men tries to recapture the Acropolis, but they are driven off by a chorus of women. An anxious CINESIAS arrives to recover his wife, MYRRHINE, but he is tantalized by her, and finally cheated as she returns to the Acropolis. Ultimately, the men yield because the women refuse them sexual favors. Lysistrata is notable for being an early exposé of sexual relations in a male-dominated society. Additionally, its dramatic structure represents a shift from the conventions of Old Comedy. It was produced in the same year as the "Thesmophoriazusae," another play with a focus on gender-based issues, just two years after Athens' catastrophic defeat in the Sicilian Expedition. At this time, Greek theatre was a profound form of entertainment, which was extremely popular for all audiences as it addressed political issues relevant to that time. 403 pages, including a Glossary. I offer Combined shipping.