Thesmophoriazusae
Also known as Festival Women, The Thesmophoriazusæ, The Women's Festival, Ladies' Day, Aristoph. Thes.
Thesmophoriazusae (; Thesmophoriazousai, ), or Women at the Thesmophoria (sometimes also called The Poet and the Women), is one of eleven surviving comedy plays by Aristophanes. It was first produced in 411 BC, probably at the City Dionysia. The play's focuses include the subversive role of women in a male-dominated society; the vanity of contemporary poets, such as the tragic playwrights Euripides and Agathon; and the shameless, enterprising vulgarity of an ordinary Athenian, as represented in this play by the protagonist, Mnesilochus. The work is also notable for Aristophanes' free adaptatio
Key facts
- Play.caption
- Kore, daughter of Demeter, celebrated with her mother by the Thesmophoriazusae (women of the festival). Acropolis Museum, Athens.The Dramatis Personae in ancient comedy depends on interpretation of textual evidence. This list is based on David Barrett's translation
- Play.writer
- Aristophanes
- Play.chorus
- 1) Agathon's chorus2) Women of Athens
- Play.characters
- Euripides A poet Mnesilochus, an elderly relative of Euripides Agathon another poet Cleisthenes (son of Sibyrtius) a notorious homosexual/effeminate A servant of Agathon A prytanis (magistrate) A Scythian archer (policeman) Micca ''('1st woman') Myrtle vendor ('2nd woman') Critylla ('3rd woman') Herald /leader of Woman's ChorusSilent roles: Manya A maid of Micca Philista Another maid of Micca'' A dancing girl
- Play.setting
- 1) Street outside Agathon's house2) Forecourt of the Temple of Demeter Thesmophoros
- Play.name
- Thesmophoriazusae
- Play.image
- Kore55.jpg
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Antikensammlung Wuerzburg 1290.JPG
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Plot
- Historical background
- Discussion
- ''Thesmophoriazusae'' and Old Comedy
- Standard edition (in Greek)
- Translations
- See also
- References
- Further reading
Thesmophoriazusae (; Thesmophoriazousai, ), or Women at the Thesmophoria (sometimes also called The Poet and the Women), is one of eleven surviving comedy plays by Aristophanes. It was first produced in 411 BC, probably at the City Dionysia. The play's focuses include the subversive role of women in a male-dominated society; the vanity of contemporary poets, such as the tragic playwrights Euripides and Agathon; and the shameless, enterprising vulgarity of an ordinary Athenian, as represented in this play by the protagonist, Mnesilochus. The work is also notable for Aristophanes' free adaptation of key structural elements of Old Comedy and for the absence of the anti-populist and anti-war comments that pepper his earlier work. It was produced in the same year as Lysistrata, another play with sexual themes.
How Thesmophoriazusae fared in the City Dionysia drama competition is unknown, but the play has been considered one of Aristophanes' most brilliant parodies of Athenian society.