Writing at the time of political and social crisis in Athens, Aristophanes was an eloquent yet bawdy challenger to the demagogue and the sophist.
An ancient Greek comedy, Lysistrata was originally performed in Athens in 411 BC detailing a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city states by denying all the men of the land any sex. Lysistrata persuades the women of the warring cities to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace—a strategy that instead inflames the battle between the sexes.
The play is also notable for being an early exposé of sexual relations in a male-dominated society. Greek theatre was a profound form of entertainment and was extremely popular as it addressed political issues relevant to that time.
Two other plays are also included. The Achanians is a classic of the highly satirical genre of drama known as Old Comedy which is set against the background of the long war with Sparta. The Clouds is a darker comedy which satirizes Athenian philosophers and reflects the uncertainties of a generation in which all traditional religious and ethical beliefs were being challenged.
(A special thank you to book club member, Sue Attalla for the suggestion.)
Note: We recommend this translation by Alan H. Sommerstein which contains 3 plays, however, as a club read, we’ll be focusing on Lysistrata, the main comedy included. There are free versions of this comedy, but the translation is nowhere near as good.
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