Theatrocracy is a book about the power of the theatre, how it can affect the people who experience it, and the societies within which it is embedded. It takes as its model the earliest theatrical form we possess complete plays from, the classical Greek theatre of the fifth century BCE, and offers a new approach to understanding how anci This is an exhilarating read, a feast of ideas for those with an interest in the cognitive and emotional power of Greek drama. Peter Meineck uses his knowledge as an academic in Classics, his experience as a theatre practitioner and recent research into the cognitive sciences to rethink Aristotle's Poetics with an eye to the experience of Greek drama in performance. It is only appropriate that a book grounded in cognitive theory, cultural neuroscience and psychology should change the way you think and feel about Greek drama. Peter Meineck's book succeeds on both accounts. As a researcher it has changed the way I think about the emotional and cognitive experience of Greek tragedy in ancient and modern performances; as a lecturer it will influence the way I teach Greek drama to my students in years to come. - Sarah Miles, Durham University, UK