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The Clouds

by Aristophanes (-450–-388)

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  • Reading level: 6th grade

"The Clouds" by Aristophanes is a Greek comedy play written in 423 BC. This satirical work lampoons intellectual fashions in classical Athens, centering on a debt-ridden father who enrolls in Socrates' school—The Thinkery—to learn how to twist arguments and outwit his creditors. When he proves too old to learn, his son must take his place. Considered the world's first "comedy of ideas," the play remains notorious for its caricature of Socrates, later cited as contributing to the philosopher's trial and execution.

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  • Classical literature
  • Comedy plays
  • Greek drama (Comedy) · Translations into English
  • Aristophanes · Translations into English
  • Rhetoric · Study and teaching

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THE CLOUDS

By Aristophanes

Trans. William James Hickie

* All Greek from the original edition has been
transliterated into Roman characters.

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About this edition

This free edition of The Clouds by Aristophanes comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #2562, released 2001-03-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Plays/Films/Dramas, Classics of Literature, History - Ancient.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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