The Acharnians of Aristophanes. With Introduction, Critical Notes, and Commentary
by W. Rennie. (E. Arnold. Os. net.)— The Acharnians is the oldest extant comedy in the world, and certainly one of the most amusing. The scenes in the Assembly, with the Eye of the Great King and his "of' A& xpacro and the Thracian auxiliaries who steal Dicaeopolie's lunch, the Boeotian -with his "pigs in a poke," not to speak of other things, are most laughter-compelling. Of course a modern reader is sometimes at a loss to understand an allusion, but all the help that is possible he will find here. Difficulties of another kind which concern the bringing out of the play are also fully dis- cussod,—one wonders that any one had the courage to produce it, for it made fun of the Athenians on matters which touched them very nearly. "A hungry man is an angry man" is an old proverb, and the Athenians were certainly hungry. A most useful edition this, doing great credit to the scholarship and industry of the editor.
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