''Acropolis Now'' is a

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

set in

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

, written by

Lynne Truss Lynne Truss (born 31 May 1955) is an English author, journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster and dramatist. She champions correctness and aesthetics in the English language, which is the subject of her 2003 book, '' Eats, Shoots & Leaves: ...

. It was broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

in two series in 2000 and 2002, with subsequent

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. The two types of reruns are those that occur during a hiatus and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word "repe ...

s on

BBC 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

(later

BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

) in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. The show follows the fictional adventures of historical Greek characters in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Heraclitus Heraclitus (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic philosopher from the city of Ephesus, which was then part of the Achaemenid Empire, Persian Empire. He exerts a wide influence on Western philosophy, ...

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; ; ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek Ancient Greek comedy, comic playwright from Classical Athens, Athens. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. The majority of his surviving play ...

Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

Xanthippe Xanthippe (; ; fl. 5th–4th century BCE) was an Classical Athens, ancient Athenian, the wife of Socrates and mother of their three sons: Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. She was likely much younger than Socrates, perhaps by as much as ...

, and the Oracle. It is loosely narrated by a chorus, in the convention of Greek dramas (the Chorus was dispensed with in the second series). Aristophanes, in addition to being a playwright (all of his plays have the title "One of Our '' ubject' Has An Enormous Knob"), owns a seafood restaurant near the Acropolis; just before the series begins, he "rescues" his brother Heraclitus from the bush he had been living in. With Athens under siege by the Spartans, Heraclitus reluctantly takes charge of the food preparation area, with Socrates appreciating Heraclitus more for his cooking than for his

stoicism Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished in ancient Greece and Rome. The Stoics believed that the universe operated according to reason, ''i.e.'' by a God which is immersed in nature itself. Of all the schools of ancient ...

. Aristophanes and Heraclitus's mother, identified only as the Oracle, is a former

Pythia Pythia (; ) was the title of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as th ...

who took a sabbatical from Delphi because the "signs" she sees in her visions are commonplace 20th century

traffic sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

s and posters. Xanthippe is a pervert, that is a heterosexual, in a society where homosexuality is normal. She has a crush on Socrates' friend

, who is oblivious to her advances. Frequent mention is made of Cynthia the Contortionist Flute-girl in suggestive contexts, but she never appears in person. The nature of the chorus varies from episode to episode. It may be the fish deliverymen on their daily round, a gang of former

Olympians Olympian or Olympians may refer to: Religion * Twelve Olympians, the principal gods and goddesses in ancient Greek religion * Olympian spirits, spirits mentioned in books of ceremonial magic Fiction * ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'', fiction ...

looking for a free meal, a band of sex-mad Spartans or the "unbelievably affable ones" (cheerful versions of the

Furies The Erinyes ( ; , ), also known as the Eumenides (, the "Gracious ones"), are chthonic goddesses of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes them as "the Erinyes, that under earth take v ...

) come to collect Socrates and take him to

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

. Several male voices speak in unison, with a lead voice underlining the occasional detail. The chorus was largely abandoned for the second series, with Heraclitus instead providing a brief introduction starting with the fact that he hates Athens.

Cast

* Stephen Moore as

, Aristophanes' brother, Chief Restaurant Cook and tormentor. * Alan Cox as

, playwright, poet, orator, and restaurateur. *

Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Siegf ...

Tom George Thomas George (born December 2, 1956) is an American physician and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. As a Republican member of the Michigan State Senate, he represented Kalamazoo County as well as an eastern portion of Van Buren Cou ...

, Socrates' pupil, who will never amount to much *

Rosemary Leach Rosemary Anne Leach (18 December 1935 – 21 October 2017) was a British stage, television and film actress. She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for '' 84, Charing Cross Road'' and was nominated for the BAFTA Award f ...

as The

Oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...

, mother of Heraclitus and Aristophanes. * Rachel Atkins as

, wife of Socrates, and deviant heterosexual (

Imelda Staunton Dame Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre pr ...

in Series 2) * Gavin Muir as

Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

Alcibiades Alcibiades (; 450–404 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general. The last of the Alcmaeonidae, he played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War as a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician, but subsequently ...

, Shepherd, Uncle Liquidites

Series 1

* ''Fish'' - The audience is introduced to all the people who own/frequent the restaurant and The Oracle brings disturbing news for Aristophanes. * ''Games'' - To avenge Aristophanes' insult to former Olympic champions, Plato (himself an Olympic champion) challenges Aristophanes to a race. * ''Gods'' - On Socrates' 85th birthday, "The Affable Ones" arrive to take him away for judgment in the Underworld ... and Aristophanes may be next! * ''Heroes'' -

, a former Athenian hero (and narcissist) returns after having defected to Sparta ... in the middle of a "Frenzy"-ing craze. * ''War'' - A group of Spartans arrive as part of a course in Athenian Culture given by Socrates, but they don't seem to be in the mood for culture ... only staying in a bad mood (which is normal for Spartans), but when Xanthippe shows up they start feeling "something else" (as does she). * ''Sheep'' - Heraclitus' woolly former "girlfriend" Cassandra turns up expecting Heraclitus to be the greatest thinker in Athens, and he, Socrates, Plato and friends do battle in the Intellectual Olympics.

Series 2

* ''Signs'' - Athens is being besieged by the Spartans and things are beginning to look bleak, especially when Uncle Liquidites turns up and demands that Plato give up philosophy and enter the funerary urn business. * ''Love'' - It's Eros Night and despite the hunger, all thoughts turn to love. But the recipients of that love (and the traditional site of love) aren't the expected choice (spoiler: it isn't the heart). * ''Plays'' - Due to his latest play being put on at the Ephesus Festival, Aristophanes has a safe conduct to leave Athens. However, when he sprains his ankle, Heraclitus plans to use the pass to escape Athens ... but if the play is performed, it will mean exposing Xanthippe to scorn and ridicule. * ''Sons'' - As food runs out, a man called Testicles arrives at the restaurant claiming to be the Oracle's long-lost son. * ''Sauce'' - Customers drop like flies after Heraclitus adds a little hemlock to the cockroach fritters, and Xanthippe has finally had enough and leaves Socrates. * ''Food'' - With starvation looking Athens and all our friends in the face, the restaurant regulars decide to have a "Last Supper" ... no food, just fine words, songs and ... hemlock.

External links

* *{{British Comedy Guide, radio, acropolis_now, Acropolis Now BBC Radio comedy programmes 2000 radio programme debuts Works set in ancient Greece