Aristophanes

=Aristophanes=

Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης, ca. 446 – ca. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a prolific and much acclaimed comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete. These, together with fragments of some of his other plays, provide the only real examples of a genre of comic drama known as Old Comedy, and they are in fact used to define the genre. Also known as the Father of Comedy and the Prince of Ancient Comedy, Aristophanes has been said to recreate the life of ancient Athens more convincingly than any other author. His powers of ridicule were feared and acknowledged by influential contemporaries - Plato singled out Aristophanes' play //The Clouds// as slander contributing to the trial and execution of Socrates although other satirical playwrights had caricatured the philosopher. His second play, The Babylonians (now lost), was denounced by the demagogue Cleon as a slander against the Athenian polis. It is possible that the case was argued in court but details of the trial are not recorded and Aristophanes caricatured Cleon mercilessly in his subsequent plays, especially //The Knights//. "In my opinion," he says through the Chorus in that play, "the author-director of comedies has the hardest job of all."

(Source: [] )

//Theatre of Dionysus, Athens - used during Aristophanes time. Aristophanes.// // (Source: [] ) (Source: []) //

=His Works:= ** Surviving plays **  ▪ // The Acharnians // ( Ἀ χαρνε ῖ ς //Akharneis//; Attic Ἀ χαρν ῆ ς; Latin : //Acharnenses//) (425 BC)  ▪ // The Knights // ( Ἱ ππε ῖ ς //Hippeis//; Attic Ἱ ππ ῆ ς; Latin: //Equites//) (424 BC)  ▪ // The Clouds // (Νεφέλαι //Nephelai//; Latin: //Nubes//) (original 423 BC, uncompleted revised version from 419 BC – 416 BC survives)  ▪ // The Wasps // (Σφήκες //Sphekes//; Latin: //Vespae//) (422 BC)  ▪ // Peace // (Ε ἰ ρήνη //Eirene//; Latin: //Pax//) (first version, 421 BC)  ▪ // The Birds // ( Ὄ ρνιθες //Ornithes//; Latin: //Aves//) (414 BC)  ▪ // Lysistrata // (Λυσιστράτη //Lysistrate// (411 BC)  ▪ // Thesmophoriazusae // or //The Women Celebrating the Thesmophoria// (Θεσμοφοριάζουσαι //Thesmophoriazousai// (first version, c. 411 BC)  ▪ // The Frogs // (Βάτραχοι //Batrakhoi//; Latin: //Ranae//) (405 BC)  ▪ // Ecclesiazusae // or //The Assemblywomen//; ( Ἐ κκλησιάζουσαι) //Ekklesiazousai// (c. 392 BC)  ▪ // Wealth // (Πλο ῦ τος //Ploutos//; Latin //Plutus//) (second version, 388 BC) ** Datable non-surviving (//lost//) plays **  ▪ // Banqueters // (427 BC)  ▪ // Babylonians // (426 BC)  ▪ // Farmers // (424 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Merchant Ships // (423 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Clouds // (first version) (423 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Proagon // (422 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Amphiaraos // (414 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Plutus // (//Wealth//, first version, 408 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Gerytades // (uncertain, probably 407 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Kokalos // (387 BC) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Aiolosikon // (second version, 386 BC) ** Undated non-surviving (//lost//) plays ** <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Aiolosikon // (first version) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Anagyros // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Frying-Pan Men // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Daidalos // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Danaids // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Centaur // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Heroes // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Lemnian Women // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Old Age // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Peace // (second version) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Phoenician Women // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Polyidos // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Seasons // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Storks // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Telemessians // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Triphales // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Thesmophoriazusae // (//Women at the Thesmophoria Festival//, second version) <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Women in Tents // ** Attributed (doubtful, possibly by Archippos) ** <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Dionysos Shipwrecked // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Islands // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Niobos // <span style="line-height: 19pt; margin-bottom: 1pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.5in;"> ▪ // Poetry // (Source: [])

=Links= [|Greek Literature] [|Theatre History - Aristophanes] [|Theatre Database - Aristophanes] [|Encyclopedia - Aristophanes]