Aristophanes
ARISTOPHANES' VIEWS ON WAR AND PEACE "Aristophanes hated war, among other reasons, for it's stupidity, it's corruption, it's waste, and dearth." (Dickinson 7) Aristophanes lived during a period of sustained violence. The Peloponnesian War between the Greek city/states Athens and Sparta lasted, with an interval of uneasy peace, from 431-404 B.C. By the end of the war, the Athenian Empire had been destroyed and the whole nature of the people of Athens had changed dramatically. The result of this horrific civil war troubled nearly everyone, in particular Aristophanes. Fortunately, Aristophanes had the vehicle to portray his, along with society's, long time hunger for peace. He was a responsible citizen and he believed that he as a poet, had to bring his ideas and feelings on the fall of Athens and war to the forefront. He loved the city/state, and therefore spoke to the city as a whole. Through his plays The Acharnians, The Peace, and Lysistrata, this desire for the hostility to end is clearly seen. The Acharnians reflects the conditions in Athens during the sixth year of the Peloponnesian War. Pericles, the general of the Athenian army, had a very definitive war strategy. It was to defeat the enemy quickly by maintai
The finely minced cakes represent peace. So to regain their sex lives, and peace, they plot to abstain from sex in hopes that their men will agree to a truce. The Peace of Niscias ended the war approximately a month after The Peace was performed on stage, This Niscias peace treaty of 421 held out a hope that was soon dashed. "It is entirely out of order in this assembly to have that man suppressed-he only wanted to make peace for us. In the prologue of the play, the old farmer laments his changed life while he waits for the general assembly to meet. This sexual abstinence is a symbol of the loss of these daily joys. In fact, the Peace of Nicias was formally concluded only ten days after the first performance of this play. Instead of blaming the Spartans for all of the Athenian troubles, he acknowledges that they have legitimate complaints of their own against Athens. Oh, how often at home one would hear you spouting hot air about something serious! And masking our misery with a smile we'd smile and ask you gently, "Dear in the assembly today, did you decide anything about peace ?" and " what's that to do with you?" you'd growl "Shut-up" and I did. He sends Amphitheus to Sparta !with eight drachmas and instructions to make peace for himself and his family. Dicaeopolis is scared of this outfit and asks him to take off this armor. The images of the dung beetle and the foods that he feasts on turns from feces to finely minced cakes.
Common topics in this essay:
Pericles Athenian,
Amphitheus Sparta,
Athenian Spartan,
Gorgon Head,
Oh Athenians,
Peace Plotnauer,
Lysistrata Yes,
Lysistrata Athens',
Oh Zeus,
Peace Nicias,
civil war,
goddess peace,
war peace,
dung beetle,
view war,
peloponnesian war,
women war,
joys life,
war supporters,
finely minced cakes,
conditions athens,
aristophanes' view war,
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Acceptance Essays
