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The Plays of Cratinus
Cratinus was a highly successful writer of Attic Old Comedy, but the very fragmentary nature of his surviving plays means that he is not as well remembered as Aristophanes (eleven of whose plays come down to us intact). Despite this, it is...
Article
Plato's Euthyphro: An Overlooked Comedy
Plato's Euthyphro is a Socratic dialogue on the concept of piety whose meaning and purpose continue to be debated. In reading the work only as a serious inquiry into the definition of an abstract concept, however, one is apt to miss the comical...
Article
Ancient Greek Inventions
The ancient Greeks are often credited with building the foundations upon which all western cultures are built, and this impressive accolade stems from their innovative contributions to a wide range of human activities, from sports to medicine...
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Ancient Greek Comedy: History, Structure, Aristophanes and Menander
The origin of Ancient Greek comedy has been lost to time, however, we know from pottery depicting men as actors dressing up in wild costumes that it was a firmly established genre by the 6th century BCE. Ancient Greek comedy can be split...
Definition
The Wasps
The Wasps is a play written by the lone representative of Ancient Greece's Old Attic Comedy, Aristophanes (c. 445 - c. 386 BCE). It won second place at the Lenaea competition in 422 BCE. Written in two acts, the play focuses on a reoccurring...
Image
Greek Terracotta Comedy Mask
A terracotta comedy mask, 200-250 BCE. (Agora Museum, Athens)
Image
Greek Marble Comedy Mask
A stone version of a mask used in Greek comic theatre. Contorted features were typical in theatre masks and this one represents a slave. Pentellic marble (2nd century BCE). Found in Athens near the Dipylon Gate (National Archaeological Museum...
Lesson Pack
Arts & Culture in Ancient Greece
We have prepared four lesson plans including classroom activities, assignments, homework, and keys as well as: Multiple choice quiz questions in an excel format. Glossary of keywords and concepts in an excel format. Open questions...
Definition
The Clouds
The Clouds is a comedy written c. 423 BCE by the Greek playwright Aristophanes (c. 448 BCE – c. 385 BCE). A failure at the Dionysia competition, finishing third out of three, it was revised later in 418 BCE but never produced in the author's...
Definition
Ecclesiazusae
The Ecclesiazusae (aka Assemblywomen) is a comedy play written by Aristophanes, one of the great Greek comic playwrights. Written sometime between 393 and 391 BCE, it is, along with his play Wealth, one of only two he wrote after the Athenian...