The Clouds

The Clouds is a theatre play written by Aristophanes in 424 BC.

Strepsiades is a farmer who is really worried about his financial situation. He is going broke to pay for his son's whims and passion for horses, going so far as to take out a series of loans to finance it. He comes up with an idea: to try to learn how to convince his creditors to avoid total ruin.

To carry out this idea, he goes to the "pensoir", a place where Socrates educates young people intellectually. However, he is rather clumsy and obsessed with his problem. This makes Socrates unwilling to educate him and finally it is Strepsiades' own son who helps him to get rid of his creditors.

Will poor Strepsiades find peace? What advice will his son have given him to convince his creditors and what will be the consequences?

This comedy was written at the height of Athens. It was presented by Aristophanes in the theatrical competition of the festivals, but only came in third place. This caused the Greek comedian to rewrite it and this is the version that has survived to the present day.

" Strepsiades (sitting up in his bed). Ah me! Ah me! O King Jupiter, of what a terrible length the nights are! Will it never be day? And yet long since I heard the cock. My domestics are snoring; but they would not have done so eretofore! May you perish then, O war! For many reasons; because I may not even punish my domestics. Neither does this excellent youth awake through the night; but takes his ease, wrapped up in five blankets. Well, if it is the fashion, let us snore wrapped up."