Aristophanes wrote about 40 comedies. The 11 presented here survive. Renowned as a satirical wit, his comedies are almost modern in their irreverent look at society. No subject was too elevated for his critical insight & sharp barbs. He poked fun at pomposity. His bawdy humor still irks some moralists. The Knights 424 BCE Attacks the political leader Cleon's war policy. The Acharnians 426 Satirizes the war & makes fun of Euripides. Peace 422 The same theme enlarging on peace's blessings. Lysistrata 411 A burlesque conspiracy by women to force peace. The Clouds 423 Satirizes Sokrates, Sophists & the New Education. The Wasps 422 Makes fun of Athenian litigiousness. The Birds 414 Describes a new & improved city, Cloudcuckootown. The Frogs 405 A satire on Euripides & the New Tragedy. The Thesmophoriazusae 412 Another literary satire of Euripides. The Ecclesiazusae 392 Pokes fun at utopias like Plato's Republic. Plutus 408 & 388 A whimsical allegory more than a regular comedy. These plays were satire's foundation. Using humor to make political & philosophical points against persons & institutions too powerful for direct attack, they exemplify the witty ingenuity of the Greeks.
Author
Aristophanes (Greek: Αριστοφάνης; c. 446 BCE – c. 386 BCE) was a playwright of ancient Athens. About 11 of his works are known in full, and they are the only plays of the "Old Comedy" style to have survived. They are The Acharnians, The Birds, The Clouds, The Ecclesiazusae, The Frogs, The Knights, Peace, Plutus (Wealth), The Thesmophoriazusae, and The Wasps. These plays have been translated into many languages and continue to be staged or adapted for theatrical productions. Aristophanes satirized the political and social issues of 5th-century-BC Athens, such as the ongoing Peloponnesian War, the structure of the city-state, the role of women in public life, and the influence of philosophers (notably Socrates) in shaping public opinion.
