Aristophanes

Aristophanes

Athenian comic playwright
1. He wrote about forty plays
2. Comedy can exert pressure on public opinion and public policy
  1. A consistent slant on something represents own opinion of dramatist, encouraging audience to take it up
3. It is the poets duty to make people into better citizens
Lived c. 446 - c. 386 BC
1. Peloponnesian War (431–404 bce)
  1. Between imperialist Athens and conservative Sparta
2. Athens was at its height of power and fame
  1. Radical democracy, all adult male citzens had equal share in policy decisions
    1. All over-30's equal opportunity to take part in administration of justice
  2. Pericles
    1. Athens fighting half of Greece and Persia, 3 continents
    2. Peace of Greece=Athen's greatest sea-power, Sparta greatest land-power
3. 415, Athens invades Sicily, provoking Sparta
  1. 413 Sicilian Expedition disaster
  2. Alcibiades, Athenian general (exiled to Sparta for offences against religion) seized fortified base close to Athens, crisis forms background to Lysistrata
4. 411- Coup overthrow Athenian democracy
  1. Regime- 'Four hundred' failed peace
    1. Oligarchy 'Five thousand'
      1. 410, more radical version of old democracy
Presented his plays at comedy competitions of the Lenaea and Dionysia festivals
Use of chorus, mime, and burlesque
Aristophanes lampooned the most important personalities and institutions of his day
1. Cleon, Hyperbolus, Cleophon
  1. Prosecution threat 420's for attacks on Cleon
Immense, kaleidoscopic artistry
1. Inventiveness in word/image/structure/sound/sight
  1. Denies him serious aims in political or social fields
Never openly opposes democracy
1. Ridicules features
  1. Use of mass juries dominated by elderly, poor
  2. Daily jury service payments waste of public money
2. Accepts it as only political system available
Is not always supportive of war, but voices Athenian pride in victories over Persians at Marathon 490, Salamis 480
Ideal vision of Greek politics was Athens and Sparta ruling Greece together. Never happened.

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