CLOUDS, BIRDS, FROGS AND ME IBD

Sinopse

Here is my autobiography. If you want to know why I think it is important to release it now, the âÇÄreasons are compelling. People no longer have any idea what it was like to live in Athens in my âÇÄtime. To the extent people think about it all, they think of the literature, the philosophy, the âÇÄarchitecture and the trappings of the democracy. They donâÇÖt think about how we actually spent our âÇÄtime. This may explain why we have lost the capacity for reasoned debate, we can no longer tell âÇÄtruth from falsehood, we have trouble getting the rich to pay for public goods, and we discuss basic âÇÄhuman urges with a strange combination of prurience and shame. TodayâÇÖs world has a lot to learn âÇÄfrom mine. And besides, I am a comic and my life was funny. We seem to have forgotten how âÇÄmuch fun life should be.áAristophanes.âÇÄThis is a joyous revelation. The world of 5th century Athens is brought into vibrant life through the âÇÄeyes and work of the one and only Aristophanes, the comic genius of his age. Satire and mockery âÇÄreveal the truth about a society (including ours) more than tragedy, which is better at revealing âÇÄtruths about individuals. High time we heard from a great comic spirit and reminded ourselves that âÇÄthe Greek world was not all orators, philosophers, mathematicians and tragedians. There was the âÇÄjuicy riot of humanity in there and all brought together by the hilarious, wise and companionable âÇÄvoice of Aristophanes* himself. A fabulous read. -áSir Stephen Fry.âÇÄAristophanes in his own, non-dramatic words - who knew they could be so amusing? -áPaul âÇÄCartledge, Emeritus Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge, author of Aristophanes âÇÄand his Theatre of the Absurd.âÇÄThe comic poet Aristophanes is your guide to fifth century Athens in his hilarious and informative âÇÄClouds, Birds, Frogs and Me - William Fitzgerald, Emeritus Professor of Classics, Kings College, âÇÄLondon.âÇÄPhenomenal! -áEE Cohen,áProfessor of Classics and Ancient History, University of Pennsylvania*áAs told to Peter Acton