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Join us for the biennial classics lecture named in memory of former members of staff Cotter and Cruickshank, two distinguished classicists.

How should we translate Aristophanes? In his talk on 13 March (which will be illustrated by several snatches at the piano), Simon May will reflect on the challenges and pitfalls of producing, in and for a modern age,  meaningful translations of ancient Athenian comedy, a literary form which often strikes us as both familiar and at the same time strangely enigmatic.   He will attempt to show how he has used modern verse forms to produce something both readable and actable, and will discuss  how he has tried to bring Aristophanic jokes and word play before a new audience.

Key Note Speaker: Simon May

Simon May studied Classics  at Wolverhampton Grammar School and Christ’s College, Cambridge. He joined the Classics Department at St Paul’s School in 1988, becoming Head of Classics in 2010. He retired in 2019, since when he has devoted some of his time to producing English verse translations of the early plays of Aristophanes. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

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