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Menander, Volume 1
The master of New Comedy.
Menander (?344/3–292/1 BC) of Athens, the leading playwright of the New Comedy, wrote more than 100 plays. Many of his comedies were adapted by Roman dramatists. By the middle ages, however, his works were lost. Then, at the end of the nineteenth century, papyrus texts, preserved from antiquity by the dry heat of Egypt, began to be discovered. These have yielded so far one play virtually complete (Dyskolos), large continuous portions of four more (Aspis, Epitrepontes, Perikeiromene, Samia), and sizable chunks of many others. Menander remains a artificial plots based on unlikely but conventional coincidences, enlivened by individualized characters, realistic situations, and at times deeply moving dialogue.
Volume I of Geoffrey Arnott’s three-volume edition of Menander contains six plays, including Dyskolos (The Peevish Fellow), which won first prize in Athens in 317 BC, and Dis Exapaton (Twice a Swindler), the original of Plautus’ Two Bacchises. Ten plays are in Volume II, among them the recently published fragments of Misoumenos (The Man She Hated), which sympathetically presents the flawed relationship of a soldier and a captive girl; and the surviving half of Perikeiromene (The Girl with Her Hair Cut Short), a comedy of mistaken identity and lovers’ quarrel. Volume III begins with Samia (The Woman from Samos), which has come down to us nearly complete. Here too are the very substantial extant portions of Sikyonioi (The Sicyonians) and Phasma (The Apparition), as well as Synaristosai (Women Lunching Together), on which Plautus’ Cistellaria was based.
Menander (?344/3–292/1 BC) of Athens, the leading playwright of the New Comedy, wrote more than 100 plays. Many of his comedies were adapted by Roman dramatists. By the middle ages, however, his works were lost. Then, at the end of the nineteenth century, papyrus texts, preserved from antiquity by the dry heat of Egypt, began to be discovered. These have yielded so far one play virtually complete (Dyskolos), large continuous portions of four more (Aspis, Epitrepontes, Perikeiromene, Samia), and sizable chunks of many others. Menander remains a artificial plots based on unlikely but conventional coincidences, enlivened by individualized characters, realistic situations, and at times deeply moving dialogue.
Volume I of Geoffrey Arnott’s three-volume edition of Menander contains six plays, including Dyskolos (The Peevish Fellow), which won first prize in Athens in 317 BC, and Dis Exapaton (Twice a Swindler), the original of Plautus’ Two Bacchises. Ten plays are in Volume II, among them the recently published fragments of Misoumenos (The Man She Hated), which sympathetically presents the flawed relationship of a soldier and a captive girl; and the surviving half of Perikeiromene (The Girl with Her Hair Cut Short), a comedy of mistaken identity and lovers’ quarrel. Volume III begins with Samia (The Woman from Samos), which has come down to us nearly complete. Here too are the very substantial extant portions of Sikyonioi (The Sicyonians) and Phasma (The Apparition), as well as Synaristosai (Women Lunching Together), on which Plautus’ Cistellaria was based.
- GenresClassics
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Menander
140 books53 followersGreek: Μένανδρος
Menander (ca. 342–291 BC), the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy, was the son of well-to-do parents; his father Diopeithes is identified by some with the Athenian general and governor of the Thracian Chersonese known from the speech of Demosthenes De Chersoneso. He presumably derived his taste for comic drama from his uncle Alexis.
Menander (ca. 342–291 BC), the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy, was the son of well-to-do parents; his father Diopeithes is identified by some with the Athenian general and governor of the Thracian Chersonese known from the speech of Demosthenes De Chersoneso. He presumably derived his taste for comic drama from his uncle Alexis.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 20, 2020
This review stands for the three volume set.
Unfortunately, these do not make very good reading. The remnants of Menander have increased greatly and though this leaves the earlier Loeb edition dead in the water, most of these plays are still pretty chopped up. Surely someone has done an edition of just the best attested plays and for getting a sense of Menander that would be the place to go. These volumes are still necessary though as combining all that can be probably attributed to Menander and the work it took to do this is impressive. One notable strength to me was the use of mosaics to help fill in the blanks. I would strongly suggest having Goldberg's Making of Menander's Comedy alongside to assist figuring out the plots.
Unfortunately, these do not make very good reading. The remnants of Menander have increased greatly and though this leaves the earlier Loeb edition dead in the water, most of these plays are still pretty chopped up. Surely someone has done an edition of just the best attested plays and for getting a sense of Menander that would be the place to go. These volumes are still necessary though as combining all that can be probably attributed to Menander and the work it took to do this is impressive. One notable strength to me was the use of mosaics to help fill in the blanks. I would strongly suggest having Goldberg's Making of Menander's Comedy alongside to assist figuring out the plots.
June 30, 2020
I did not realize how incomplete his writings are. Hard to rate, but interesting.
August 28, 2021
As a Latin and Classical Greek Major in College, I love to reread some of the Classics.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews