ARISTOPHANES Birds

Birds differs from all other fifth-century plays of Aristophanes that survive in having no strong and obvious connection with a topical question of public interest, whether political, literary-theatrical or intellectual-educational. It has, in its own way, plenty of topical and satirical content; in particular as the city of Cuckooville begins to take shape, it proves in many ways to be a replica of Athens, and is soon visited by many of the less desirable elements of the Athenian population. But satire is kept firmly subordinate to fantasy; and as fantasy Birds has no rival in what we possess of Greek literature, until we reach Lucian nearly six centuries later. First published in 1987, current edition 1992.

Alan H. Sommerstein is Professor of Greek and Director of the Centre for Ancient Drama and its Reception, University of Nottingham, editor of the Aristophanes volumes in the Aris & Phillips Classical Texts series (1980­96) and of Aeschylus Eumenides (Cambridge, 1989); author of Aeschylean Tragedy (Bari, 1996); co-editor of Tragedy, Comedy and the Polis (Bari, 1993) and several other multi-author volumes.

376pp. (1987) cl 287 X £35 / $59.99, pb 288 8 £17.50 / $32

CONTENTS Preface References and Abbreviations Introductory note Select bibliography Note on the text Sigla PARALLEL GREEK TEXT AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION COMMENTARY

SOME COMMENTS BY REVIEWERS

"It is a great pleasure to welcome Alan Sommerstein's BIRDS in his excellent series of Aristophanes editions. He is a marvellous editor of this playwright, eager to pursue each and every strand in the comedies' texture. His commentaries are unfailingly intelligent, lucid and informative. His translations are beautifully thought out." LACT

"Highly recommended for undergraduates and more advanced students". Choice

RELATED BOOKS

See under ARISTOPHANES in this series. The final volume WEALTH will include the INDEXES to all the volumes of Aristophanes' plays and is expected sometime in the year 2001.