Samia (Classical Texts) - Hardcover

Menander

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0856682241 ISBN 13: 9780856682247

Publisher: Aris & Phillips Ltd, 1983

Synopsis

Though in later antiquity the social comedies of Menander ranked second in popularity only to Homer, his plays were for centuries thought to be irretrievably lost. Only in this century have instances begun to re-emerge from the sands of Egypt, and it was not until 1958 that a complete play, Dyskolos or The Bad-Tempered Man, came to light. With this we can now gauge in full the skill that Menander brought to his works, even in the early phase of his career. In preparing this edition, the author aims to make accessible to readers some of the consummate sophistication in dramatic technique and use of language that once produced the question, "Menander and Life, which of you imitated the other?"

About this title

Synopsis

With the discovery in Egypt of papyrus books we now know much more about Greek 'New Comedy' and the plays of its greatest exponent, Menander, but his second best preserved play, Samia, is not yet generally known. In this new edition the text takes account of all recent scholarly work, with the facing translation as an aid to interpretation. The commentary elucidates the text, explaining the themes and conventions of New Comedy, and emphasizing the text's dramatic nature. The Samia is among the ancestors of modern comedy, whose traditions are derived from Menander and the Greek plays adapted by Plautus and Terence for Roman audiences.

About the Author

Stanley Ireland is Lecturer in Classics at the University of Warwick. He has written on such diverse topics as Menander, Aeschylus, Roman Britain, Homer and Apollodorus. He is the editor of Terence's The Mother-in-Law in this series.

Edition details

• Publisher: Aris & Phillips Ltd
• Publication date: 1983
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0856682241
• ISBN 13: 9780856682247
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160
• Editor: Bain D. M.