A Comic Turn HUM 2051: Civilization I Fall 2010 Dr. Perdigao September 20-22, 2010

Returning to History Greek city-states four stages: monarchy; oligarchy; tyranny; democracy (Perry 57) 594 BCE Solon, the Reformer, as chief executive, initiates transition into democracy (Perry 60) Persian Wars: Ionian Greeks of Asian Minor revolt against Persia; Athens sends twenty ships to aid revolt (Perry 60) 490 BCE, Darius I, king of Persia, sends detachment to Attica; at Marathon, Athenians defeat Persians (Perry 60) 10 years later, Xerxes, Darius’ son, sends force of 250,000 men and over 500 ships, to invade Greece Thermopylae=300, Spartans with training and “ideal of arêté” resist (Perry 61) Themistocles, Athenian statesman and general, lures Persian fleet to Bay of Salamis, then they again defeat Persians at Plataea; military strategy results in Athenian naval victory (Perry 61)

Leads to era of Athenian imperialism (Perry 61) 150 city-states organized Delian League to protect themselves against Persian invasion, centralized Athenian power Also flourishing of Athenian democracy and culture (Perry 61) Assembly open to all adult male citizens; debate and vote on war, treaties, spending (Perry 61) Isonomy—equality of political rights of citizens—to vote, to speak before and submit motions to Assembly, hold public office, receive equal treatment (Perry 62) But slaves and women denied legal and political rights (Perry 63); denial of “human rights” epitomized in seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (Perry 63)

Contextualizing Aristophanes Pericles—Athens ( BCE), reforms during the Golden Age, court system (Perry 65); oration reconstructed by Thucydides, reveals “Athenian democratic ideal,” “civic and personal freedom” (Perry 65)— distinction between Spartan’s “concept of excellence with the Athenians’ humanistic ideal of the full development of the human personality” (Perry 65). Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta ( BCE) ends the Golden Age—fear of growth of Athenian power—fear of Spartans to control (96), failed peace treaty negotiated by Pericles, plague in Athens (430 BCE) First ends in stalemate, peace treaty in 421 BCE Athens campaign at Sicily ends in failure; Sparta attacks in 414 BCE; Athens surrenders as navy and food supply lost 404 BCE Sparta dissolves Delian League Thirty Tyrants ( BCE) led by Critias, antidemocrat, uprising: Socrates (Perry 67)

Herodotus ( BCE), Thucydides ( BCE)—as key historians, establishing “Western civilization’s tradition of history writing”; Herodotus as “father of history” (Perry 95) Herodotus’ Histories representing Persian Wars (clash between cultures of the East and West) (420 BCE); Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War counters Herodotus’ approach to look at power politics operating in history, “no place for myths, for legends, for the fabulous,” “rejecting the notion that the gods interfere in history” (Perry 96)

A Comic Tradition Aristophanes ( BCE) Lysistrata 411 BCE Komoidia: song of a band of revelers Komos: revel, banquet Komos—revelers—like animals, perform wild antics, connected to fertility rites

From Old to New Comedy Old comedy: mix of wild or antic and thoughtful; imaginary defeat of real limits Reconciliation: (banquet, revel, marriage) reconstitution of society on freer, more natural grounds –“In Aristophanic comedy, the comic hero typically upsets the status quo to produce a series of extraordinary results and a wish-fulfilling ending” (721). Aristophanic—or old comedy—known through work of Aristophanes— Clouds, Frogs New comedy: 4 th century BCE; comedy of manners—love blocked, obstructions overcome

Central Conflicts Lysistrata : performance on two levels: War between Athens and Sparta as the supposed plot and then the chorus speaks in name of author on contemporary issues Agon between Lysistrata and the state; issue of subversion: state’s authority to conduct war vs. quarrel in smaller terms “Reversing the words of Hector to Andromache, which had become proverbial, Lysistrata claims that ‘war shall be the business of womenfolk’” (721). Female sexuality—subverts male warlike concerns Tragedy—hero challenges limits in knowledge but the limits can’t be overcome Comedy—through imagination, limits can be overcome as it represents the imaginary surpassing of limits But limits are given in each form

Role-playing (726): Battle call ( ): Losing control of the women ( ): Episode with Myrrhine and Kinesias ( ): Reconciliation introduced

Grrrl Power Lysistrata: “according to the men we’re capable of all sorts of mischief” (723) Kalonike: “But what can mere women do that’s intelligent or noble?” (724). Lysistrata: “Oh what a low and horny race we are! No wonder men write tragedies about us” (726). Men: “This behavior of theirs amounts to extreme hubris” (739).

Oxymorons Chorus-Leader: “Hail, manliest of all women! Now is your time: be forceful and flexible, high-class and vulgar, haughty and sweet, a woman for all seasons; because the head men of Greece, caught by your charms, have gathered together with all their mutual complaints and are turning them over to you for settlement” (751). Lysistrata: “Where’s Reconciliation?” (751) Lysistrata: “I am a woman, but still I’ve got a mind: I’m pretty intelligent in my own right, and because I’ve listened many a time to the conversations of my father and the other men I’m pretty well educated too” (751).

Comedy as Deus Ex Machina? First Athenian Ambassador: “Well! Now that everything else has been wrapped up so nicely, it’s time for you Spartans to reclaim these wives of yours; and you Athenians, these here. Let’s have husband stand by wife and wife by husband; then to celebrate our great good fortune let’s have a dance for the gods. And let’s be sure never again to make the same mistakes!” (755) Spartan Ambassador: “And sing for the goddess who’s won a total victory, Athena of the Brazen House!” (756).