WARSparta attacked Attica, Athens’ territory and immediate sphere of influence, destroying repeatedly its agriculture. Athenian ships, however, continued to supply the city and region year after year, decade after decade. But multitudes of people who lived in the countryside were forced into the city. Aristophanes owned a farm and felt kinship with these people, hence the frequent praise of farmers and country life in his plays. This influx of people due to the War resulted in overcrowding, a variety of unpleasant urban practices, and one of history’s truly formidable onslaughts of the plague. In 429 BC, with ferocious irony, the man most responsible for the Peloponnesian War – the great Pericles – died of the plague. This happened about two years before Aristophanes began writing plays for the festival competitions. - - - - - - - - [from the comedy Thesmophoriazusae: Feminists meet to condemn the famous dramatist Euripides for allegedly slandering women in his plays. His elder kinsman, the male chauvinist Mnesilochus, attends the meeting to defend Euripides.] A motion for putting Euripides to death is proposed and the motion seconded. At this formidable juncture, Mnesilochus in his female attire gamely rises to speak in opposition. He begins by stating
that, Like you other ladies, I hate Euripides for his slander of our
sex. However, he goes on to say, Since there are only us women around
to hear it, we must admit that all the vile things he writes about us
are perfectly true. The Women are
shocked at this long, increasingly vehement speech, for Mnesilochus
warmed to his task. Some shout at him, "Shameless!" One demands
that "she" be stripped and whipped. This frightens him, and
he invokes his right to freedom of speech. The "strip and whip"
woman attacks Euripides, and Mnesilochus – devoted attorney that
he is – defends him via more poisonous darts aimed against Women.
And in spite of warnings, he will not stop. |
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