This accessible introduction to the work of one of the world's greatest comic writers tackles key questions posed by Aristophanes' plays, such as staging, humour, songs, obscene language, politics and the modern translation and performance of Aristophanic comedy. The book opens up exciting and contentious areas of Aristophanic scholarship in a way that is engaging and readily comprehensible to a non-specialist audience, never losing sight of the fact that Aristophanes' plays are vibrant literary texts, designed primarily to appeal to a classical Athenian audience as pieces of living drama. Key to the book's appeal is that James Robson conceives of the plays as dynamic texts, containing a treasure trove of information not only about how they might have been performed and received in classical Athens, but also how they might be read and understood today. Most importantly, readers are given the tools and information to make their own minds up about the debates that still rage about Aristophanic comedy in the modern world.

Robert Knight is a member of a powerful supernatural race known as the Jinn. Viewed as a threat by the rest of the supernatural world, the Jinn have been hunted into near extinction. When he and the last remaining members of his family are forced to flee for their lives, Robert decides that the time has come to try and overturn the millennia of hatred against his people and secure his family’s survival by establishing a spirit of friendship and trust. But with fanatical zealots hunting him at every turn, will Robert be able to convince anyone that the ancient crusade against his people is a war that should be left in the past? The Jinn Knight is a story of chivalry, honour and integrity as one man fights for survival and acceptance within the supernatural community. Supernatural races, both more and less widely known, strive to bring about a better future, or to complete a centuries long quest for genocide.

‘The Emerald Knight: A Dark Divide’ is an adventurous journey into Kalnath, a once united vibrant land now scarred by lies and rumours. Amidst the shroud of chaos, unexpected souls find themselves with their paths intertwined. For the glory of Raniel, Marin must decide whether to stand with his friends. Maleth was in the wrong place at the wrong time and Guldr, as Guardian, needs to ensure the survival of Kolgoth. Meanwhile, Talgameth, harbouring a deep-seated grudge spanning a millennium, hungers for long awaited vengeance. Ade McBain’s debut novel delivers an immersive adventure in the captivating tapestry of Kalnath, a land teetering on the edge of destruction. As the arcane mist left Maleth’s eyes the cobbled street raced up to meet him. Darkness followed, however before blacking out, he witnessed the aftermath of what he’d done – and the still body of the plucky little girl.

Aristophanes is the only surviving representative of Greek Old Comedy, an exuberant form of festival drama which flourished in Athens during the fifth century BC. One of the most original playwrights in the entire Western tradition, his comedies are remarkable for their brilliant combination of fantasy and satire, their constantly inventive manipulation of language, and their use of absurd characters and plots to expose his society's institutions and values to the bracing challenge of laughter. This vibrant collection of verse translations of Aristophanes' works combines historical accuracy with a sensitive attempt to capture the rich dramatic and literary qualities of Aristophanic comedy. The volume presents Clouds, with its famous caricature of the philosopher Socrates; Women at the Thesmophoria (or Thesmophoriazusae), a work which mixes elaborate parody of tragedy with a great deal of transvestite burlesque; and Frogs, in which the dead tragedians Aeschylus and Euripides engage in a vituperative contest of 'literary criticism' of each other's plays. Featuring expansive introductions to each play and detailed explanatory notes, the volume also includes an illuminating appendix, which provides information and selected fragments from the lost plays of Aristophanes.

A revision of Jeanne Osborn's 19th edition, the bulk of this work describes and illustrates the notable changes that have been made in the auxiliary tables and in each main class. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR