Guide to Ancient Greek Drama

Ian C. Storey is Emeritus Professor of Classics and Ancient History at Trent University, Canada. The author of Eupolis: Poet of Old Comedy (2003), Euripides’ Suppliant Women (2008), and The Fragments of Old Comedy (2011), he has published numerous papers on Euripides, Old Comedy, and the fiction of C. S. Lewis.Arlene Allan is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Classics at Otago University, New Zealand, where she teaches ancient Greek literature and mythology, as well as ancient Greek and Latin.

• Preface to the First Edition xiPreface to the Second Edition xiiiList of Figures xvList of Maps and Plans xviAbbreviations and Signs xvii1 Aspects of Ancient Greek Drama 1Drama 1The Dramatic Festivals 13The Theatrical Space 24The Performance 36Drama, Dionysos and the Polis 512 Greek Tragedy 73On the Nature of Greek Tragedy 79Aeschylus 93Sophokles 110Euripides 133The Other Tragedians 1533 The Satyr-Drama 159Cyclops 1704 Greek Comedy 173Origins 173Old Comedy (486 – ca. 385) 177The Generations of Old Comedy 197Aristophanes 210Greek Comedy and the Phlyax-vases 219Middle Comedy 221Menander and New Comedy 2265 Approaching Greek Drama 237Formal Criticism 237Interdisciplinary Approaches 241Visual Interpretations 247Reception Studies 2526 Play Synopses 256Aeschylus’ Persians 257Aeschylus’ Seven against Thebes 258Aeschylus’ Suppliants 259Aeschylus’ Oresteia 260Aeschylus’ Agamemnon 261Aeschylus’ Libation-Bearers (Choephoroe) 262Aeschylus’ Eumenides (Furies) 263Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound 264Sophokles’ Ajax 265Sophokles’ Antigone 266Sophokles’ Trachinian Women 267Sophokles’ Oedipus Tyrannos 268Sophokles’ Elektra 269Sophokles’ Philoktetes 270Sophokles’ Oedipus at Kolonos 271Euripides’ Alkestis 272Euripides’ Medea 273Euripides’ Children of Herakles 274Euripides’ Hippolytos 275Euripides’ Andromache 276Euripides’ Hecuba 277Euripides’ Suppliant Women 278Euripides’ Elektra 279Euripides’ Herakles 280Euripides’ Trojan Women 281Euripides’ Iphigeneia among the Taurians 282Euripides’ Ion 283Euripides’ Helen 284Euripides’ Phoenician Women 285Euripides’ Orestes 286Euripides’ Iphigeneia at Aulis 287Euripides’ Bacchae 288Euripides’ Cyclops 289[Euripides’] Rhesos 290Aristophanes’ Acharnians 291Aristophanes’ Knights 292Aristophanes’ Wasps 293Aristophanes’ Peace 294Aristophanes’ Clouds 295Aristophanes’ Birds 296Aristophanes’ Lysistrate 297Aristophanes’ Women at the Thesmophoria 298Aristophanes’ Frogs 299Aristophanes’ Assembly-Women 300Aristophanes’ Wealth 301Menander’s The Grouch 302Menander’s Samian Woman 303A Note on Meter 304Glossary of Names and Terms 307Timeline 311Further Reading 316Index 324

“Whether the student has a good grasp of the language, or little (even none), they will find this an invaluable source book and study aid. It will help students of classical literature to understand the context and content of ancient Greek drama more thoroughly and more productively.  Although not stated as an aim of the book, it will also help students of related subjects who need some instruction in or background to ancient Greek drama.”  (Reference Reviews, 1 October 2014)