ABSTRACT
Menander’s plays are quite often thought of as lightweight comedies. Green (1990, 67), for instance, goes so far as to call them ‘puffball plays’. It is suggested that there is no depth of feeling portrayed. In fact, they do explore some serious human problems and relationships; as they are comedies, this is, of course, frequently done with humour and irony. Menander’s plays also have a history – social comedies should be set in their socio-historical context. Since the work of Menander’s contemporaries failed to survive, the dangers of circular argument threaten to envelop such investigations. Nevertheless, a study of the plays can contribute to our understanding of fourth-century history – of the attitudes of the period, and that a knowledge of the social background is, in turn, essential to an understanding of Menander.
