The Acharnians

AristophanesProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 78K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. The Acharnians by Aristophanes. Author: Aristophanes, 446? BCE–385? BCE. Language: English. Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature. Release Date: Jan 1, 2002.

Editor's review

The Acharnians is an early work by the ancient Greek comic playwright Aristophanes, released as an English electronic text by Project Gutenberg. Set against the backdrop of war between Athens and Sparta, the play centers on an ordinary citizen who makes a private peace with the enemy and secures peace for himself and his family, filled with exaggerated farcical scenes, coarse buffoonery, and sharp political satire. Its value lies in letting readers see directly how fifth-century BCE Athenian citizens' debates over war and peace were brought onto the comic stage; elements such as the chorus, the agon (debate), and buffoonery also display the typical structure of Old Comedy. It is best read as a political satire within its historical context rather than as a plot-driven modern drama; a basic understanding of the Peloponnesian War will make it easier to grasp the tensions in the play between hawks and peace advocates, and between city-state interests and individual life. English translations retain many cultural proper names and allusions, which first-time readers can understand with the help of notes or an introduction. As a public-domain text, it is suitable for readers of theater history, classics, and the history of political thought as introductory material to browse.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying ancient Greek drama and classical literature
Lovers of political satire concerned with themes of war and peace
History readers studying Athenian city-state politics and society
Teachers and students needing a public-domain English translation for teaching or citation

Not a good fit for

General audiences expecting a modern, fully structured plot-driven drama
Readers completely unfamiliar with ancient Greek history who are unwilling to consult background materials
Readers who prefer serious tragedy and dislike coarse farce

Reading tips

Read the translator's introduction first to understand the Peloponnesian War background and the conventions of Old Comedy before entering the text.
Consult notes when encountering cultural proper names and allusions; do not let unfamiliar terms interrupt the reading rhythm.
Understand the play's debate between hawks and peace advocates against the Athenian political context of the time, and note the targets of satire.
For teaching, select chorus passages and debate scenes for reading aloud to appreciate the stage effects of Old Comedy.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play suitable for readers with no background in ancient Greek history?

It can be read, but it is advisable to first acquire some background knowledge of the Peloponnesian War and Athenian city-state politics. Much of the satire targets specific figures and policies of the time, and lacking background weakens understanding; with the translator's introduction and notes, first-time readers can still grasp the core conflict between hawks and peace advocates.

Is The Acharnians a tragedy or a comedy?

It is a comedy, belonging to ancient Greek Old Comedy. The play treats the serious issue of war and peace with exaggerated farce and coarse buffoonery, and carries strong political satire, clearly differing from tragedy in form and effect.

Can an English translation convey the language style of the original?

A translation can convey plot, structure, and satirical targets, but puns, colloquialisms, and homophonic humor in ancient Greek comedy are inevitably lost in translation. Readers can use notes to understand the verbal humor; where possible, comparing multiple translations or consulting related guides will be more rewarding.

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About the author

Aristophanes Author · Ancient Greek

Aristophanes (c. 446 BCE–c. 385 BCE) was a comic poet of ancient Athens and the foremost representative of Old Comedy. Public sources on his life are limited, and later readers have come to know his work chiefly through his plays. Tradition holds that he wrote about forty comedies, of which eleven survive, including The Clouds, The Acharnians, The Birds and Lysistrata; the library holds seventeen of his works. His plays often take Athenian political and social life as their subject, using exaggerated plots and fantastic invention to mount sharp satire, and their witty, imaginative language had a profound influence on the later development of European comedy.