Hysterical Laughter: Four Ancient Comedies about Women

Hysterical Laughter: Four Ancient Comedies About Women is the first text to uniquely employ comedy as a vehicle to explore women, gender, and sexuality in Greek and Roman antiquity. Featuring new, engaging, and accessible translations by David Christenson of four of the finest classical comedies--Lysistrata (Aristophanes), Samia (Menander), Casina (Plautus), and Hecyra (Terence)--it provides instructors with an attractive and innovative way to explore the social and cultural dimensions of ancient theater and the construction of gender roles in ancient society. The volume is enhanced by an extensive general introduction and includes an introduction, notes, and essays for each comedy, all of which assume no prior background in classical studies. Ideal for courses in classical literature in translation and women in the ancient world, Hysterical Laughter can also be used in a variety of other courses in ancient history, women’s studies, cultural studies, and theater.

David Christenson is Professor of Classics at the University of Arizona. He is the translator of Roman Comedy: Five Plays by Plautus and Terence (2010), Plautus: Casina, Amphitryon, Captivi, Pseudolus (2008), and Plautus: Amphitruo (2000). He was awarded a Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship in 2011-12.