P. (1927–2011), a natural born translator, produced delightful renderings of several Aristophanic plays in lively modern idiom, conveying their exuberant spirit in a way appealing to the concerns of present-day audiences. This elegant volume contains P.'s hitherto unpublished (but repeatedly performed) translations of three comedies: Aristophanes’ Peace and Plutus (rendered by P. as Money, the God) and Menander's Samia. The texts have been expertly edited by T.J. Moore, who also provides prefaces for each play, a brief general introduction on the history and performance of Greek comedy, as well as explanatory footnotes concerning historical realia of ancient Athens. These have been kept to a minimum, with a view to the needs of general readers. Money, the God is considered as an example of Middle Comedy, although in fact the Plutus has more in common with Aristophanes’ earlier, ‘Old Comedy’ productions, and is not representative of the tendencies of Middle Comedy, as indicated by extant fourth-century fragments. Otherwise, the concise introductions are informative and likely to spur further interest. There is a helpful select bibliography of standard monographs on Greek comedy (mostly in English) but no specialised reading lists concerning the three individual plays. The book closes with the text of a lecture, in which P. reflects on his decades-long experience as a translator of Aristophanes and sets out the practical principles guiding his work.

The bulk of the volume is taken up by the translations. Aristophanes’ texts are rendered in vigorous, consciously funny language, full of ingenious puns, sometimes of Joycean calibre (‘crap suzette’ for the dung-beetle's cakes, ‘ancients of daze’ for rambling old men). P. is a master of versification, handling a variety of metrical forms to match Aristophanic polymetry: loose blank verse (with regular beats but frequent supernumerary syllables) for the dialogues, corresponding to the rich in resolutions iambic trimeters of ancient comedy; long dactylic rhythms for the anapaestic or hexameter portions; and rhyming song stanzas for the lyric parts. The Chorus’ rural odes in the Peace (in perfect heptasyllabic couplets recalling Puck's midsummer incantations) and the Parodos of Money, resounding with the tunes of the music hall, are among the most accomplished lyric pieces in the book. P. is also a versatile parodist, deftly mimicking numerous authors or types of discourse, from T.S. Eliot and Tennessee Williams to religious anthems, medical prescriptions and legal contracts. He copiously creates alliterations and internal rhymes, in order to recast special effects of Aristophanic language, which would otherwise elude modern ears: for example the mock-elevated tone of paratragedy (‘on flying foal I'll fare’), the proverbial turn of popular parlance (‘Battles, No – but Bottles, Yes’), or the peculiar humour of verbal accumulation (‘Donations, Immolations, Oblations, from Cupcakes to Cattle’). P. sometimes expands the original text with additional jokes, to render it funnier or more easy-flowing for modern audiences. Yet, his versions as a whole remain faithful to the ancient script, never developing into free composition. Only rarely does he pick up unusual slang or a too culture-specific term, which may sound abstruse to general readers (‘honcho’, ‘bazoo’, ‘vamoose’).

The style is different in the Samia. A chameleonic translator, P. felicitously adapts to the urbane idiom of Menandrian New Comedy, creating a smooth, conversational dialogue in cultured everyday speech. For the first two acts he has also filled in the sections missing from the papyri, reconstructing several tens of lines on the basis of educated guesses about the plot and personages. In these supplements P. successfully captures the peculiar ethos and speech manner of various characters, for example Moschion's affable superficiality and Chrysis’ underlying worldly-wise sadness. Menander, though rarely performed nowadays, would be a delight to watch in this version.