Aristophanes (c. 446 BCE – c. 386 BCE) was an Athenian poet and playwright who lived during the 5th century BCE, which he was known as "The Father of Comedy" and "the Prince of Ancient Comedy".[1]
Aristophanes was a member of Perikles' inner circle, befriending and gaining of tutelage of fellow poets that included Euripides and Sophokles. Aristophanes and the rest of the circle came to befriend the misthios Kassandra, aiding in her efforts to take down Perikles' rival Kleon.
Biography[]
Befriending Kassandra[]
At the age of 15, Aristophanes became affiliated with numerous intellectual individuals in Athens and soon became a part of the circle affiliated with Perikles.[2]
In 431 BCE, Aristophanes was one of the individuals invited by the statesman Perikles to attend a symposium at his villa. He attended the party which included his fellow playwrights Euripides and Sophokles. Due to Aristophanes' comical style of writing, Sophokles was not happy that Euripides associated himself with him. A while later, Aristophanes and Euripides met the misthios Kassandra, who came to the symposium to seek information for her mother's whereabouts.[3] Kassandra served him and Euripides drinks in exchange for information from the latter.[4]
Around the same time, Aristophanes came into constant conflict with fellow playwright Hermippos, who was secretly a member of the Cult of Kosmos and openly voiced his support of Kleon, a rival of Perikles. While talking with Sokrates about Hermippos near the Akropolis Sanctuary, Aristophanes was approached by Kassandra, who questioned him about his conflict with Hermippos. Aristophanes requested Kassandra to look for Hermippos and investigate his affiliation with Kleon, and learned of his affiliation with the Cult.[5]
Later on when Athens was hit by a plague in 429, Aristophanes and the rest of Perikles' associates took shelter within the statesman' own villa.[6] Perikles himself, however, perished after being killed by the Cult of Kosmos enforcer Deimos at the Parthenon.[7]
Opposition against Kleon[]
Perikles' death allowed Kleon to rise in popularity and power, becoming the most powerful man in all of Athens. In response, Aristophanes and the rest of the survivng circle members worked to resist his rule. Following Kassandra's accidental return to Athens in 424 BCE, Aristophanes assisted her in tarnishing Kleon's reputation in the city. However, his prized actor Thespis had gone missing, and so tasked Kassandra to find him.[8] He then wrote the play The Knights, and it was a huge success as Aristophanes recalled to Kassandra and Sokrates in Perikles' Residence.[9]
Following Kleon's defeat and death at the Battle of Amphipolis in 422 BCE, Aristophanes was present in attendance at Perikles' residence to celebrate their victory and journey.[10]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (mentioned in Database entry only)
References[]
- ↑
Aristophanes on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Perikles's Symposium
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Drink Up
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Free Speech
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Abandoned By the Gods
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – And the Streets Run Red
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – An Actor's Life for Me
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – The Knights
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – We Remember
