Overview

This study shows that the Ecclesiazusae is an affirmation of the importance of persuasion in the fourth- century democracy. Praxagora, the attractive and articulate female protagonist, virtually personifies peitho, the realm of both political persuasion and erotic seduction. The ability of peitho to address both public and private motivations makes it the perfect instrument to resolve the tension in the fourth century between selfishness and civic participation. This is, after all, the central issue in the later episodes of the play.

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Reviews

' This study is to be warmly welcomed, and one may hope that it will provoke further interpretative work on aspects of the play...'<br>Alan H. Sommerstein, the Classical Review, 1991.<br>'.. .a most readable and thoght-provoking book...has succeeded in making explicit one of the major sources of humour in the play....A welcome contribution to the study of the Ecclesiazusae...'<br>Ineke Sluiter, Mnemosyne, 1992.<br>

' This study is to be warmly welcomed, and one may hope that it will provoke further interpretative work on aspects of the play... ' Alan H. Sommerstein, the Classical Review , 1991. ' ...a most readable and thoght-provoking book...has succeeded in making explicit one of the major sources of humour in the play....A welcome contribution to the study of the Ecclesiazusae...' Ineke Sluiter, Mnemosyne , 1992.

Author Information

Kenneth Rothwell, Ph.D. Columbia University (1985), is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA. He has received the Lawler Scholarship and the President's fellowship and the University fellowship from Columbia. This volume is his first major publication.

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