Aristophanes' comic masterpiece of war and sex remains one of the greatest plays ever written. Led by the title character, the women of the warring city-states of Greece agree to withhold sexual favours with their husbands until they agree to cease fighting. The war of the sexes that ensues makes 'Lysistrata' a comedy without peer in the history of theatre. 126pp.
Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated, 2003, Cloth, Book Condition: As New, Jacket Condition: No Jacket. . . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

ISBN: 0872206041

Inventory #7990

Price: £ 12.50 GBP ($ 18.50 approx. - € 14.53 approx.)

This anthology of articles on the Roman novels of Petronius and Apuleius makes available some of the most useful and important articles published in German and Italian as well as English over the last thirty years. The introduction, by the editor, provides a general assessment of all scholarly work written about the texts from the 1900s to the 1990s, setting the papers usefully in context. The articles in this collection which concern the work of Petronius include a general interpretation of a fragmentary and problematic text, exploration of narrative technique, relation to Menippean satire and recently discovered Greek novel papyri, and realism. On Apuleius, the collection includes pieces on narrative and ideological unity, relation to religion and Platonism, exploration of narrative technique, relation to epic and to the Greek ass stories, to folk-tale, and historical realism. A reflection of the period of rapid expansion of scholarly interest in the area of the ancient novel this book combines the best of current international scholarly interpretation. Slight sticker mark on rear cover. Corners slightly rubbed. 337pp.
Oxford University Press, 1999, Paperback, Book Condition: Very Good, Jacket Condition: No d/j as Published. First Edition. . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

ISBN: 0198721749

Inventory #23202

Price: £ 25.00 GBP ($ 37.00 approx. - € 29.05 approx.)

One of the most influential thinkers in the history of the West was Socrates of Athens (469-399 BCE). Literally, thousands of books and other works of art have been devoted to him, yet his character and the tenets of his philosophy remain elusive. Even his contemporaries had very different impressions of him, and since he himself left no writings to posterity, we can only wonder: Who was this man really? What ideas and ideals can be truthfully associated with him? What is the basis for the extraordinary influence he has exerted throughout history? Philosopher Luis E. Navia presents a compelling portrayal of Socrates in this very readable and well-researched book, which is both a biography of the man and an exploration of his ideas. Through a critical and documented study of the major ancient sources about Socrates - in the writings of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, and Aristotle - Navia reconstructs a surprisingly consistent portrait of this enigmatic philosopher. He links Socrates' conviction that the unexamined life is not worth living with Immanuel Kant's later concept of an innate moral imperative as the only meaningful purpose of human existence. He highlights Socrates' unrelenting search for the essence and value of the soul as that aspect of his philosophical journey that animated and structured all his activities. Navia also considers Socrates' relationship with the Sophists, his stance vis-a-vis the religious beliefs and practices of his time, his view of the relationship between legality and morality, and the function of language in human life. Finally, he eloquently captures the Socratic legacy, which, over twenty-four centuries after his death, is still so urgently relevant today. Navia brings to life this perennially important philosopher, illuminating the relevance of his ideas for our modern world.291pp.
Prometheus Books, 2007, Cloth, Book Condition: New, Jacket Condition: New. . . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

ISBN: 9781591025016

Inventory #18335

Price: £ 13.50 GBP ($ 19.98 approx. - € 15.69 approx.)

This book contains the complete Greek text of "Plato's Ion", an English translation of it, and an in depth analysis. The Ion is one of the shortest of Plato's dialogues and yet it raises two most critical questions. First, is there an art of "poetry as a whole," that is, is there an art of words and, if so, what is its nature? All acts of language are poetic, and philosophy is impossible without them. Thus arises the second question: does philosophy itself exist only in the use of words, in the question and answer, in the interchange called dialectic. Dialectic is between people, so that it has an essentially social as well as an intellectual dimension, and it is while the conversation continues that philosophy fully exists; it lives in the performance. Ion performs Homer, and Plato (or his reader) performs Socrates. There are similarities - for example, both have musical or metrical structures - but there are also crucial differences - Ion's performance of Homer has hearers; Plato's performance of Socrates has participants. 394pp.
Bibal Press, 2005, Paperback, Book Condition: New, Jacket Condition: . . . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

ISBN: 1930566514

Inventory #15299

Price: £ 15.00 GBP ($ 22.20 approx. - € 17.43 approx.)

305pp.
Farrar,Straus & Giroux, 1988, Paperback, Book Condition: Very Good, Jacket Condition: No d/j as Published. . . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" Tall.

ISBN: 0374519048

Inventory #23759

Price: £ 6.00 GBP ($ 8.88 approx. - € 6.97 approx.)