To be fair, I didn't expect the plays to be so relatable because I mainly got into Aristophanes's plays by memes

This was the first-ever piece of ancient literature that I have ever tried to tackle and honestly, there wasn't much to tackle, it was such an easy read. I learned so much about ancient culture and more importantly how their humour was basically the same as it still is today. I found myself laughing out loud at points and gasping in surprise. I really recommend, even if it's not Aristophanes, picking up some form of Classical literature.

The Frogs and Other Plays
(Everyman's Library Version 1909)

The Frogs - *****
The Trial of Euripedes - ****
The Clouds - ****
The Wasps - ****

Total: 4.25

I’ve been avoiding Aristophanes for some time mostly because he liked to ridicule Socrates whom I have a particular soft spot for among the ancient philosophers(or well Socrates as seen through Plato’s eyes). But while recently reading Procopius’ pastiche of Greek and Roman invectives(The Secret History that is), my curiosity was piqued by the many references he included from Aristophanes’ plays. I decided therefore to try reading a couple of them.

I rather enjoyed his work in the end. At times outrageous and bawdy, his plays have a current of underlying substance, whether as political or social commentary or literary criticism. Frogs is the best example of all these things. While the Chorus and Dionysus address Athens’ predicaments at the time head on, the duel of Euripides and Aeschylus mercilessly and cleverly skewers both writers’ stylistic flaws to the point it’s considered one of the first works of literary criticism in the world. And it all just works brilliantly!

The other two plays by contrast are much less nuanced and engaging. I found Wasps to be rather tedious with its parodic over-the-top style that descended into downright absurdism. Women at the Thesmophoria on the other hand had most of the slapstick and crude humour, but its theme was shaky and its conclusion weak.

There are definitely some very interesting titbits in Aristophanes’ plays that any lover of ancient history will enjoy and I think I might give his other plays a try too! Although I might still stay away from Clouds…

More of Aristophanes’ comic plays. Some better than others, but all entertaining. Frogs was my favorite, while the rest are less remarkable to me than say Lysistrata or The Birds. Frogs was interesting because of Aristophanes’ incorporation of august Greek tragedy dramatists Aeschylus and Euripides as characters in this play (and even Sophocles to a limited extend). In this play, Aristophanes suggests Athens, who was struggling in the war with Sparta, needed someone else to run the city-state and that only a poet of magnificence could fulfill the role. So he has the God of theater, Dionysus, travel to Hades to bring back either Aeschylus or Euripides, two of the three great Greek tragedians, but Dionysus must choose among them. A comedic contest between the two tragedian dramatists ensues…It is interesting how he declines to have Sophocles compete. I would offer this Penguin Classics edition has a fantastic intro to the Old Greek Theater world and contains copious helpful (if not overly helpful) end-notes. I just wish Penguin would use footnotes instead, as it makes for a smoother reading in my opinion.

Very naughty...

I want whatever Aristophanes was on when he wrote this

actually genuinely hilarious

it felt so so modern like there’s no way that was written thousands of years ago
also i think it was just a really really good translation

hes a funny cunt

Shout out to aristophanes for writing a play in 405 BC that made me giggle in 2025 AD. Featuring such hits as:

“Dionysus: I don’t know how to explain. I’ll paraphrase a parable. Did you ever feel a sudden longing for baked beans?
Herakles: Baked beans? Gosh yes, that’s happened to me a million times.
Don’t need to expound baked beans to me. I get the point.”

and

“Dionysus: How's that again? Please be a bit more stupid, so I'll understand.”

3.5⭐️

Wasps: I understand why political context is such an important thing to understanding the plays

Women at the Themophoria: girlbosses?

Frogs: The woman was too stunned to speak