Chapter 7 is a detailed critical study of comic and serious themes in popular operas. An Introduction establishes the philosophical basis of social critique in popular opera. A managerial shift in 1715 was made towards more intellectually engaging material, sometimes including social satire. This had been prominent in Gherardi’s theatre and was maintained in works by Alain-René Lesage, Philippe d’Orneval, Alexis Piron and Charles-Simon Favart. In ‘Recycling’ methods of reworking previous comedies are shown in two case studies involving Molière, Sedaine, Raymond Poisson and Louis Anseaume. A critical survey compares subjects and their treatment in fourteen works adapted from the Fables and Tales of La Fontaine. Evolving approaches to the poet’s material accompanied changing musical and moral approaches, for example in the depiction of poverty. In ‘Marriage as a Measure of Society’ a sample of eighteen popular operas discloses three areas of interest, though in very different comic modes: traditional resistance to impediments preventing marriage and happiness; resistance to the institution itself; and resistance to societal constraints which impede expectations of happiness. The influence of English drama is accounted for. A brief final section on ‘Abduction’ operas develops the wider implications of Jama Stilwell’s research on Letellier’s Arlequin Sultane favorite.

The overall approach of the book is thematic, with the Introduction providing important context for what follows, especially for those less familiar with Roman history, first by defining key terms and parameters (especially explaining the chronological range of the volume, from the fourth century BC to the early seventh century AD), and then through an overview of the incidence of warfare, both external and internal, across the course of Roman history. The evolution of Roman military forces from the Republic through to Late Antiquity is outlined, with particular attention to Augustus’ formalisation of a standing army and the reconfiguration of the empire’s forces in the early fourth century. Finally, the most important ancient sources for the subject are introduced, with discussion of key literary sources (Polybius, Caesar, Livy, Josephus, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius), the less familiar Syriac chronicle atttributed to Joshua the Stylite, military treatises, documentary evidence (inscriptions, papyri) and relevant archaeological material.