Aristophanes

Old Comedy — The Clouds, The Birds

The master of Old Comedy and the sharpest satirist of the ancient world. His plays attacked politicians, philosophers, and poets with obscene wit and lyrical brilliance. The Clouds famously lampooned Socrates.

Key works

• The Clouds423 BC— Satire of Socrates and the sophists
• The Birds414 BC— Utopian fantasy in the sky
• Lysistrata411 BC— Women end war through a sex strike

Connections

External