This study of Aristophanes provides the basis for a total re-assessment not only of Aristophanes as a poet and playwright, but also of our perception of politics and the role of the theatre in classical Athens. It shows how Aristophanes used allegorical means to comment on the day-to-day political concerns of Athenians, in particular the problems presented by the gradual emergence of Alcibiades as one of the most powerful figures in the state.