Lysistrata
In 411bc. Athens and Sparta were engaged in the greatest Greek war of the classical age; the Peloponnesian war. It had begun 20 yrs previously and the superpowers of the Greek world fought for hegemony. For ease, split geographically; Athens, the democracy, who after the Persian Wars (Ta Medika), had almost accidentally found itself as head of the Delian League of Greek allies that swiftly transformed itself into a loose Athenain Empire, controlled by the efficient and competent, Athenian Navy. Sparta, however, as head of the Peloponnesian league, with their strange dual kingship, had become invincible on land due to their professional army. An entire nation trained in marshal ways from birth. A state of army.
Two nations and two different military strengths. The main reason why the war, by 411bc had lasted so long was with neither side willing to engage the other outside of their strength then the neither side could land a knock out blow.
War and skirmishes continued and spread throughout the Aegean, and in 411bc with the consequences of the doomed 'Sicilian expedition' by the Athenian state, being felt by the Athenains, all out war was cranking back up again as the Spartan's, now assisted by the treacherous Athenian genius, Alcibades, sought to take an advantage.
At this time, Athens still continued its institutions and culture. It was the Athenian empires Indian summer, unknown to them at the time, that within 7 years, Athens would be completely defeated by Sparta. (and her now Persian financial backers, creating the Spartan navy, ultimately tipping the balance), Athens golden age was ending and with this so the age of classical Greece was doomed, no more than 50 yrs later to fall completely, under the Macedonia Phalanx.
In this age, stood Aristophanes, the great comedic writer, the greatest of his genre. Aristophanes, the father of comedy as we perceive it, lived and worked in Athens. He performed many plays and in 411bc he performed a play called the Lysistrata; it was an anti war play. One of he earliest we have record of. But as a comedy it was an anti war play taken to the absurd, as any good comic would.
Lysistrata, feminist hero in an age when women where judged by the colour of their skin. The paler they were the more honoured, the higher the class, as this meant they were kept at home and did not get tanned. Dark skinned women, the type nowadays, that provoke such lust, seen as obviously slaves, or lower class because they had to work and live outside to keep the family.
Aristophanes, identifies to the Athenian, male, audience, the ultimate fear. Fear of dominant, transgressive females. So beloved in tragedy, because that doesn't reflect real life. The fear could be played on, showing how insane the world would become, should a female decide to not play the part the male culture dictated. In the Lysistrata, the main character, Lysistrata unleashes the ultimate weapon; Her sex. By controlling the natural urges of women, who initially will not follow the plan because they cannot give up sex, even if it was affairs. Women, of course, to the Greek male were driven by more bestial desires and bereft of reason and uncontrolled women became wicked women.
By with holding sex from the men folk, the women of Greece reduce the men of Greece to a state of 'rigid paralysis', driving the men to sue for a mutually agreeable peace. This is where the genius mind of Aristophanes lay. Athens at the time feared that it's end was nigh and that to surrender now meant surrendering at any cost. It didn't happen, Sparta messed the strategy up and as I have said before, Athens rebuilt itself enough to carry on for another 7 years. In this play, all the comedy and the jokes were driven by the Aristophanic idea of; how could Athens gain a peace without sacrificing everything in the process? This was his solution...
Two nations and two different military strengths. The main reason why the war, by 411bc had lasted so long was with neither side willing to engage the other outside of their strength then the neither side could land a knock out blow.
War and skirmishes continued and spread throughout the Aegean, and in 411bc with the consequences of the doomed 'Sicilian expedition' by the Athenian state, being felt by the Athenains, all out war was cranking back up again as the Spartan's, now assisted by the treacherous Athenian genius, Alcibades, sought to take an advantage.
At this time, Athens still continued its institutions and culture. It was the Athenian empires Indian summer, unknown to them at the time, that within 7 years, Athens would be completely defeated by Sparta. (and her now Persian financial backers, creating the Spartan navy, ultimately tipping the balance), Athens golden age was ending and with this so the age of classical Greece was doomed, no more than 50 yrs later to fall completely, under the Macedonia Phalanx.
In this age, stood Aristophanes, the great comedic writer, the greatest of his genre. Aristophanes, the father of comedy as we perceive it, lived and worked in Athens. He performed many plays and in 411bc he performed a play called the Lysistrata; it was an anti war play. One of he earliest we have record of. But as a comedy it was an anti war play taken to the absurd, as any good comic would.
Lysistrata, feminist hero in an age when women where judged by the colour of their skin. The paler they were the more honoured, the higher the class, as this meant they were kept at home and did not get tanned. Dark skinned women, the type nowadays, that provoke such lust, seen as obviously slaves, or lower class because they had to work and live outside to keep the family.
Aristophanes, identifies to the Athenian, male, audience, the ultimate fear. Fear of dominant, transgressive females. So beloved in tragedy, because that doesn't reflect real life. The fear could be played on, showing how insane the world would become, should a female decide to not play the part the male culture dictated. In the Lysistrata, the main character, Lysistrata unleashes the ultimate weapon; Her sex. By controlling the natural urges of women, who initially will not follow the plan because they cannot give up sex, even if it was affairs. Women, of course, to the Greek male were driven by more bestial desires and bereft of reason and uncontrolled women became wicked women.
By with holding sex from the men folk, the women of Greece reduce the men of Greece to a state of 'rigid paralysis', driving the men to sue for a mutually agreeable peace. This is where the genius mind of Aristophanes lay. Athens at the time feared that it's end was nigh and that to surrender now meant surrendering at any cost. It didn't happen, Sparta messed the strategy up and as I have said before, Athens rebuilt itself enough to carry on for another 7 years. In this play, all the comedy and the jokes were driven by the Aristophanic idea of; how could Athens gain a peace without sacrificing everything in the process? This was his solution...
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