Aristophanes nailed socialism, collectivism -- and democracy too

To say that “The Assemblywomen” is funny is an understatement. The play is brilliant and laugh-out-loud hilarious, depicting the absurdities of life in Ancient Athens in language that just might make Parker and Stone blush. Yet the play is also instructive.

Aristophanes takes aim not just at a political class that had grown corrupt, neurotic, and drunk on its own power, but also at collectivism and democracy itself.