{"product_id":"9781350065680","title":"Aristophanes: Cavalry","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eAristophanes: Cavalry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Rob Tordoff\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eOffering for the first time a student introduction to Aristophanes' most explosive political satire, this volume is an essential guide to the context, themes and later reception of \u003ci\u003eCavalry\u003c\/i\u003e. The ancient comedy is a fascinating insight into power  relations between slaves and slaveholders and the upper and lower  classes in classical Athens, and its political and social themes  resonate with a modern audience more now than ever before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally performed in 424 BCE, \u003ci\u003eCavalry\u003c\/i\u003e targets the Athenian demagogue Cleon, who had risen to  prominence since the death of Pericles and to pre-eminence after an  audacious victory over Sparta in 425. In \u003ci\u003eCavalry\u003c\/i\u003e, Aristophanes attacks Cleon's popularity with the urban  underclass, but also targets democracy itself as guilty of gullibility,  self-interest, and political short-sightedness. As the play shows, the  only hope of escape from this crisis is for  Athens to find a leader even more foul-mouthed, depraved, and shameless  than Cleon himself. And who better than a sausage-seller, if only  because he turns out in the end to have a good heart and a true love of  traditional Athenian values?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781350065680\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40826119356622,"sku":"9781350065680","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_8ceaba4b-43d6-4e3e-a0f9-91c83949325d.jpg?v=1643194538","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781350065680","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}