While we're here, one subject I cut for time is the relationship between "The Clouds" and the trial of Socrates. It's commonly assumed that Aristophanes' satire played a part in Athens' decision to charge and ultimately kill Socrates, but that interpretation doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. The Clouds was performed over *20 Years* before Socrates' trial. If the play had that strong an effect on Athens, we can assume Socrates would have been charged far sooner. And Plato's own writings paint Aristophanes rather favorably - if Plato blamed Aristophanes for the' trial, he does not make that obvious. There IS one snide line in Socrates "Apology" that seems to a modern reader like it's referring to "The Clouds", but really we can't be sure. Aristophanes was not the only Comic playwright in Athens, and certainly not the only person who disliked Socrates. Did The Clouds contribute to a negative public perception of Socrates? Sure, in part, at least when it was performed in 423.. But it's faaar more likely that Socrates' trial and death in 399 owe more to his persistent habit of being a Colossal Pain In The Ass to whomever he was speaking with. Reading The Apology makes it clear that nobody had the power to make Athens hate Socrates more than Socrates. -B

@silverbullet1620

2 жыл бұрын

I still want to debate you Blue. Because you don't look at history around historical events.

@BeepBoop173

2 жыл бұрын

Hi I’ve been watching you guys for four years now and y’all do great work. ♥️

@eagelcat

2 жыл бұрын

The Comedies yield Animaniacs

@eagelcat

2 жыл бұрын

This video was awesome

@electricsquidxd3254

2 жыл бұрын

Where can I find a link to your book?

"Find a translation that keeps the dick jokes and you'll be set." Human history in a nutshell, whether our conservative elders like it or not.

@Pixelmick

2 жыл бұрын

"A society can be judged by the quality of it's dick jokes" Should be a historian saying

@Tomyironmane

2 жыл бұрын

@@Pixelmick Boy are we in trouble. Our dick jokes aren't funny, and the jokes about dicks are banned as hate speech.

@festethephule7553

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tomyironmane How funny they are is subjective, and jokes about dicks are absolutely not being banned as hate speech.

@CoralCopperHead

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tomyironmane Can I throw a mathematical equation at you? You might find it useful: Head(Your) - Ass(Your) = Person + Experience(Life) = Person(Reasonable)

@rav3style

2 жыл бұрын

@@CoralCopperHead 911? I want to report a fucking murder!

Antisthenes once stated: "It is better to fall in with crows than with flatterers; for in the one case you are devoured when dead, in the other case while alive"

@pepperhr

2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if that’s tied to the Attic Greek phrase “εἰς βαλλεῖς κώρακας” meaning both “throw [yourself] to the crows” (literally) and “go to hell” (not so literally)

@jakeupton5125

2 жыл бұрын

@@pepperhr It definitely does becouse the ancient greek word for flatterer is κόλαξ which sounds almost exactly like the word for a crow, which is κόραξ. So that Antisthenes quote is one hell of a great pun!

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakeupton5125 Translations do make it hard at times to keep the joke. Like snake and shield, or a lisp making raven into flatterer.

@thydzz2180

2 жыл бұрын

Fucking Legend

“Aristophanes invented communism” was definitely NOT the thing I was expecting from this video, but it is funny as hell!

@r3dp9

2 жыл бұрын

Not just any communism, but feminist communism.

@animatorofanimation128

2 жыл бұрын

It's hilarious on how he invented the core concept of communism, and then tore it apart 5 seconds later in the play. Aristophanes is great

@fixthefernback8030

2 жыл бұрын

The Tawantinsuyu invented the first functional communist state, too!

@supernobro64

2 жыл бұрын

The people's republic of Athens

@sorayacatfriend

2 жыл бұрын

Ideas similar to communism already existed in Greece and other parts of the Ancient World, Plato even talks about it.

I will always love Aristophanes for introducing me to the Greek word “Eruproktes,” meaning “gaping asshole,” and also having the same prefix that gave us Europe.

@mayoandbananasandwich6527

2 жыл бұрын

Wide eyed, wide assed, what’s the difference?

@thejudgmentalcat

2 жыл бұрын

I learn something new and interesting every day

@xmoore5659

2 жыл бұрын

I'm going to use that.

@flimsyenthusiasm5769

2 жыл бұрын

Well according to literally every country in the world that is not in Europe, that sounds about right.

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

But what about Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphiokarabomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon?

"All men should be free to do as they wish" "But who would toil the soil?" "The slaves!"

@arleccino1313

2 жыл бұрын

"Wealth is the most excellent of all the gods." -Fucking BIG mood.

Aristophanes is *THE* definition of Chaotic good in Ancient Greece

@19MAD95

2 жыл бұрын

What about Diogenes? Chaotic Neutral?

@tntguardian6455

2 жыл бұрын

@@19MAD95 yeah, definitely chaotic neutral

@andrewwurth8998

2 жыл бұрын

Dnd memes are getting really tired :(

@andrewhopkins886

2 жыл бұрын

@@andrewwurth8998 nope.

@lysanamcmillan7972

2 жыл бұрын

@@andrewwurth8998 You forgot to add "to me." It is not implied, nor can it be inferred.

4:48 "An old man is addicted to serving on juries, so his family sets up a fake domestic court to keep him busy at home, where he judges the case of Dog v. Stolen Cheese." ...I might watch this Netflix original.

@bananacat4945

2 жыл бұрын

actually

@AnishJBhave

2 жыл бұрын

Man so would I!!!

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

The dog is prosecuted by another dog who is a caricature of Cleon and the Kitchen utensils are witnesses. It is so absurd.

@qeniray9105

2 жыл бұрын

This must be made real.

@hurgcat

2 жыл бұрын

This one made me spit out my drink it was just so funny I am now downloading a pdf to read tonight

My favorite part of Peace is not just the guy Flying the Dung Beetle into heaven, but that fact he spends two minutes chastising and begging the audience not to fart in case the beetle knocks him off and goes looking for food.

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

Or saying everything he eats will get eaten by his steed.

@hailghidorah2536

2 жыл бұрын

What the fu

The best thing is that they 're still played today in Greece, with improvised dick jokes about modern politicians ON TOP of the ancient ones. Aristophanes managed to be still relevant after 2000 years

@kevinbayu7621

2 жыл бұрын

Political dick jokes are ALWAYS relevant

Reading the Clouds in school was such a cathartic way to end our classics unit. After weeks of getting tortured with Plato's prose at too young an age it was nice to see the philosophers get dunked on savagely.

@LadyDeirdre

2 жыл бұрын

Having read Plato, I consider any age to be too young to be tortured by his prose.

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

No-one is above mockery.

@JukeboxTheGhoul

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrThorfan64 Conservatives: wait not like that.

@andrewhopkins886

2 жыл бұрын

@@JukeboxTheGhoul to be fair both sides have that Issue. The political shit-flinging starts when the neutral jokes devolve into political teasing which devolve into just plain old insults, then very serious insults, and sometimes death-threats and threats of mass-muder against an opposing political alignment. Modern politics is fun, I'm tired, why am I starting this before I've even had breakfast... Good joke, have like.

Aristophanes wrote possibly the best line in any play, when Dionysus is trying to follow Charons instructions on operating a rowboat: DIONYSUS: (doing everything wrong) "Like this?"

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

The Frogs is the best. It's so meta, plus the idea of making fun of the god of theatre in a theatre is brilliant.

@lirazel6414

2 жыл бұрын

I'm a fan of Lysistrata, myself.

@SirAnthonyChirpsALot

2 жыл бұрын

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the stage directions were added by later editors. The only part of Aristophanes that was actually written by him and not added later were the lines. Even the characters assigned those lines is an editorial decision, which is why there are disputes over things like how many characters with speaking roles are in each play.

@benthomason3307

2 жыл бұрын

damn

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

@@SirAnthonyChirpsALot This is true of Shakespeare, as well. Most of the stage directions are added in, unless they are embedded in the text.

Comedies as the most acceptable way to criticize a government…guess times don’t change all that much?

@wojciechkowalski8061

2 жыл бұрын

No matter the times, politicians fear mockery more than anything else.

@josharko111

2 жыл бұрын

@@wojciechkowalski8061 looks like it's time for the bards to rise again

@oriong.7507

2 жыл бұрын

@@josharko111 Yes, Indeed. Gather your Bards, and I'll gather mine. It will be a glorious Bardic Crusade.

@VashdaCrash

2 жыл бұрын

Comedy also doesn't change anything in the government, it seems.

@CoralCopperHead

2 жыл бұрын

@@josharko111 So they can be just as horribly biased as modern reporters? Sorry pal.

"The Athenians knew they were a mess and celebrated it." I've never identified with an ancient city so well.

@Magus_Union

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the irony of the US modeling its government after the ancient Greeks and then literally following the same imperialistic trajectory isn't lost on me.

@IkeOkerekeNews

2 жыл бұрын

@@Magus_Union Damn I didn't know that the Ancient Greeks practiced federalism!

@winsonzhu4427

2 жыл бұрын

@@IkeOkerekeNews i mean, what do you think the delian league effectively is?

@IkeOkerekeNews

2 жыл бұрын

@@winsonzhu4427 At most, an extortionist military alliance, no where close to being a federation.

@deiansalazar140

2 жыл бұрын

@@IkeOkerekeNews I think you're missing the point.

To quote Cleveland Brown "what country is this" "that's the gay flag." "ah Greece."

@AxxLAfriku

2 жыл бұрын

OH NOOOOOOOO!!! I have two girlfriends, but very few people on YT are happy for my relationship success. They disl*ke all of the videos I make with my 2 girlfriends. Please be kind, dear tita

@Blueturtle1

2 жыл бұрын

@@AxxLAfriku you are literally everywhere

@whatamidoingwithmylife4108

2 жыл бұрын

@@AxxLAfriku Please don't respond to him, or watch his videos. He's an obnoxious, annoying, lying, troll. Don't feed him.

@Blueturtle1

2 жыл бұрын

@@kbye2321 I will feed the troll, he is hungry

@macgaming-theincrediblefas5295

2 жыл бұрын

@@AxxLAfriku are weedsmoking girlfriends?

"he was taken to court by a politician for slander" So, what you're telling me is that we haven't changed in almost 2500 years

@romulus755

2 жыл бұрын

To be fair in a grand scheme of things that is not a long time...but yea.

@arleccino1313

2 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what we're telling you.

@emblemblade9245

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah so you better temper your expectations!

@vikiai4241

2 жыл бұрын

Ah, so our current rather thin-skinned Australian pollies are just doing the classics!

@arigadatred5395

2 жыл бұрын

If the circumstances are similar, the outcome will be similar.

It's The Frogs. The Frogs, beyond all doubt, when a harassed and terrified Dionysus rushes up to the priest of Dionysus in the first row, and screams, "You're my priest! DO something!"

@evobrand1210

Жыл бұрын

Breaking the first wall in the best way possible

Wait wait we skipped over the women having their own “parallel society.” There’s definitely more to analyze there

@regalvas

2 жыл бұрын

We also skipped over bird overthows Zeus.

@hiti6753

2 жыл бұрын

@@regalvas Zeus probably raped his bird-wife, so good for him.

@CoralCopperHead

2 жыл бұрын

@@hiti6753 "probably raped his bird-wife, so good for him." I realize Zeus was rapey as all get-out, but _'good for him?'_ I'm sorry, _fucking _*_what?!_*

@BluePraetor

2 жыл бұрын

@@regalvas I acted in the birds. Basically due to the trade embargo, the gods are dying of hunger as the smoke of sacrifice does not reach them. Herakles is the one to accept the birds' conditions while Zeus is sick from malnutrition

@mozarteanchaos

2 жыл бұрын

@@CoralCopperHead there are two people that "him" could be referring to in that sentence. one of them is zeus, one of them is not. assuming that commenter is a reasonable human being, which do you think is more likely; that they think zeus committing bird rape is good, or that they think a bird getting back at zeus for committing bird rape is good?

I have seen both "Clouds" and "Women of Thesmophoria" live at the ancient theater of Epidaurus. The actors said a lot of the dick jokes BUT the English subtitles they had on a projector did not! And I say, that's unfair.

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

No dick jokes? What sort of a subtitle writer was this!

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

You are so lucky. I am consumed with envy. I have been to Epidaurus, but never seen a play there.

@ginoclaves

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrThorfan64 They don't usually get enough freedom to be put on the spot for their "choices", tbh. More like get comissioned by *non-experts* and get your work *revised by* them. Especially since the sort of crowd interested in ancient works equals them all to dead-serious classics, hence the many *"the Bard couldn't possibly have intended such crude language"* translations of Shakespeare.

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

@@ginoclaves Why do they think the plays were popular?

@ginoclaves

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrThorfan64 They usually don't, believing the works to be old high art, essentially.

Aristophanes: We know exactly what is wrong with Athenian society and would ask the people in charge of Athenian society to do anything about it, it's just that what's wrong with Athenian society is the people in charge of Athenian society doing anything they want.

The phrase "and then Athens happened" needs to be a meme on the same level as "then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked" 😅

@user-re3io8ib4n

2 жыл бұрын

Or, "and then along come Zeus"

@jeremy1860

2 жыл бұрын

@@user-re3io8ib4n Oh yeah, that one too 😅

@wojciechkowalski8061

2 жыл бұрын

And since XV century onwards "and then the Europeans showed up."

@elijahpadilla5083

2 жыл бұрын

@@wojciechkowalski8061 I prefer the Bill Wurtz variant, "Knock knock. It's Europe."

@CoralCopperHead

2 жыл бұрын

@@elijahpadilla5083 My favourite was the follow-up: "Knock knock. It's the United States. With huge boats. (with guns. (gunboats.))

“Our boy homer”

@amanofnoreputation2164

2 жыл бұрын

"You'll have to speak up -- I'm wearing a towel."

@awkwardparakeet6217

2 жыл бұрын

"Hey there Athenians. It's me, ya boi."

@erichfiedler1481

2 жыл бұрын

D'OH

@Carewolf

2 жыл бұрын

Emphasis on second syllable.

Hold on, you're telling me a guy thousands of years ago wrote a comedy where a guy sneaks into the ladies' room in drag to spy on them, gets caught learning about their secret society, and takes a toy baby hostage that's secretly filled with booze? Damn it, back to the drawing board then.

Aristophanes: I know exactly everything that's wrong with athens. Athenians: Do you know how to solve those things? Aristophanes: Well, I have a couple ideas. Athenians: Then why don't you help us solve them? Aristphanes: Are you kidding? If athens stops being such a hot mess I'll lose my job!

“And then… Athens happened.” *Oh no*

@thedukeofchutney468

2 жыл бұрын

Historians: O H Y E A H 😎

@nameless-stitcher

2 жыл бұрын

Athens is the ancient equivalent of America, change my mind.

@thedukeofchutney468

2 жыл бұрын

@@nameless-stitcher Pretty much (although as far as scale goes I’d say that the Roman republic is also a good equivalent)

@Duiker36

2 жыл бұрын

@@thedukeofchutney468 I mean, considering that America goes so far as to intentionally model itself off the Roman Republic, missing the similarities is basically a matter of ignorance. We don't have Latin phraseology in random places (e.g., "E Pluribus Unum") because the Founders were language nerds. We have Latin mottos, classical architecture, etc. because they copied the Romans as best they could from the history they had at the time.

An Athenian man appears in our modern age. He walks into a bar and sees an episode of South Park playing on a television screen. He sits transfixed and watches it for 10 minutes before exclaiming "Good to see Aristophanes made it to the future as well."

"Such honey it is to do forbidden things." - Aristophanes, Fragment

@MrThorfan64

2 жыл бұрын

Adam and Eve relate.

“From Shakespeare to South Park” is a lot more powerful than I think anyone would ever think think

During 'The Birds', the titular birds threaten to defecate on the judges of the festival unless they are awarded first prize... it didn't work.

@CDexie

2 жыл бұрын

Valiant effort by Aristophanes

@evobrand1210

Жыл бұрын

Worth a try

Spicy political pornography: that’s Aristophanes for ya

"Ah, yes, ancient Greek theater was truly a haven of cultural performance and intellectual achievement" declare the pundits, not noticing Sappho waltzing behind them, bare-chested with a strap-on and flanked by two Vegas showgirls.

@doo_lissdu_lighost6133

Жыл бұрын

Meanwhile Aristophanes was watching this all unfold, writing it down as material for his next play.

@rocketgeek96

Жыл бұрын

This sounds like a 70s Mel Brooks scene, and I mean that with all the praise with which it's intended.

What I learned: The greatest enduring ideal of democracy is politicians getting butthurt over a comedian making fun of them

A couple of years ago, my high school theatre put on the Birds. Apparently, the audience laughed so hard that they needed to get an EMT to save people from choking to death on laughter. Literally.

Aristophanes was just like "This whole city is a meme and I'm going to show you exactly why. AND YOU WILL LOVE IT!"

I remember laughing to tears when I read Wasps. When the father hides under the donkey (maybe it was a sheep, it's been 10 years) and the son is like "dad, no..." I read it with my mom while I was studying literature in college, and we both literally kept GUFFAWING at it. It was beautiful. Centuries after his death, this man made us laugh to tears

I’m Greek, and I’m dying because the steed said malaka 😂😂😂😂😂😂

@jamescornell5297

2 жыл бұрын

And what’s “Malaka” in English?

@strykerryder2346

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamescornell5297 it is the Greek equivalent to "wanker" or at least I think it is.

@jamescornell5297

2 жыл бұрын

@@strykerryder2346 thank you.

@pjk9225

2 жыл бұрын

@@jamescornell5297 More specifically, (what i gathered from living in Thessaloniki for 3 months) its both very offensive and a term of endearment. Like, 2 friends that have known each other for ever might call each other that. But also you might yell it at the guy who just cut you off in traffic. But as a traveling american? That's a no no.

@CollinMcLean

2 жыл бұрын

@@pjk9225 So much like the word C**t in Australia?

Hey isn’t this the guy you become friends with in assassins creed? Huh, I am now even more proud of myself for that play against Kleon. Look mom! I’m making history!!

@emmaheikkinen2024

2 жыл бұрын

thats what i was thinking 😭😭

You know the Ace Attorney fandom is rising if Blue uses Phoenix in his video.

I once went to see lisistreia live, and I have to say I wasn't expecting 2500 year old jokes to land , but they did and made me laugh a lot more than most modern comedies

I read Lysistrata for a class a couple years back. It was definitely more enjoyable to read than any of the tragedies I've read, since it feels like it's written to be enjoyed, while still being very informative about Athenian culture.

Dog v stolen cheese was a groundbreaking case

I'm gonna be real, during your description of "Peace", I thought you said that the farmer "rescued the goddess of peace by dicking her out of her grave" and my immediate reaction was THAT IS SUCH A GREEK THING.

@evobrand1210

Жыл бұрын

I would not have been surprised

In theatre school in the early 2000s we did a modern retelling of Lysistrata. It really does hold up.

I absolutely love Frogs! Heracles and his lust for soup is hilarious.

@evobrand1210

Жыл бұрын

-this desire... -for a woman? -No? -a man? -No. Do you ever get this huge desire for bean soup? -Of course, when do I not desire bean soup?

Fun fact: comedy was associated with the Greeks so much that technically speaking most Roman comedies are set in Greece even if the characters act and refer to Roman stuff all the time, also Romans completely lacked that kind of self-awareness which probably contributed: the so-called "togata" (the Roman comedy sub-genre actually set in Rome) is greatly toned down compared to the comedies set in "Greece".

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

That's because it's fine to show Greeks misbehaving. REAL Romans don't act in such an undignified way.

@det.bullock4461

2 жыл бұрын

@@professorbutters5201 Oh, yes and that "refferring to and do Roman stuff" I mentioned? It included complaining about the Greeks because they were often hired or imported as slaves by Romans as preceptors, secretaries, scribes, etc. At that point one can't tell if the Roman writers were really that oblivious or were just messing with the audience.

Man, we really need Legal Eagle to review Aristophanes' trial play. Is there a recorded stage version on teh interwebs anywhere?

@jerubaal101

2 жыл бұрын

Or you could find a good lawyer and/or entertaining lawyer to do it instead.

@SirAnthonyChirpsALot

2 жыл бұрын

Honestly the Wasps isn't the best play to analyze because most of its criticism is directed toward the juries, not the courts themselves necessarily. The debate at the end of the Frogs or in the Clouds would probably be more compelling.

@deiansalazar140

2 жыл бұрын

@@jerubaal101 So...Legal Eagle.

@tompatterson1548

2 жыл бұрын

@@jerubaal101 gotta admit, he does have his problems. During the game of thrones episode he just ignores the fact that in universe it’s unjust and all that on purpose.

More History-Makers to feed my history loving soul I'm going to miss having history classes in school :(

I did a project on Aristophanes in middle school because we had to pick a historical figure and my teacher said i couldnt do Genghis Kahn because of the time period restriction.

@ramirogalletti

2 жыл бұрын

so how did that end up?

@archibaldthejester42069

2 жыл бұрын

@@ramirogalletti I actually really liked it and i did pretty well! I'm glad i had to stick to the time period cause i got to learn about someone new!

@BJGvideos

Жыл бұрын

Time period reconstruction?

I've read Birds way back when, don't exactly remember the whole thing on account of all the flowery language, but it really shocked me to see how this man makes a complete pig's breakfast of the religion of the time, putting all the avians above the gods. Like imagine someone doing that to the Abrahamic religions and staying a celebrated author.

@boosterh1113

2 жыл бұрын

You don't have to imagine. Ever heard of the His Dark Materials series (better known in North America as The Golden Compass)? The Abrahamic God is specifically depicted as a senile old man used as a figurehead by the tyrannical arch-angel Michael to enslave humanity, while Lucifer is a heroic rebel. All real humans are accompanied by a personal demon, the loss of which turns you into a mindless, soulless slave. The books were all NYT bestsellers, the author won the Carnegie Award for Children's Literature in the UK, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden, the series was put on both the Times (US) and BBC (UK) lists of top 100 novels of all time. There was even a full budget Hollywood movie made (which flopped, more because of poor cinema craft, then the results of any opposition). It doesn't take much effort to find more examples of successful media that mock/insult the Abrahamic God, either. Bruce Almighty, The Da Vinci Code, Dogma, etc. Quit pretending that the modern West is some kind of repressive, theocratic dystopia.

@oriong.7507

2 жыл бұрын

@@boosterh1113 I have read those books. They are good books.

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

Comedy is different. By rights, the comedian has license to say what they want because it's comedy. It's supposed to break down rules. And Christianity DID have that--see all the Noah plays and the Feast of Fools.

@retroanimemike

2 жыл бұрын

@@boosterh1113 You are putting a lot of words into my mouth. I was giving my opinion, from my point of view, in my experience. I was not making a wide ideological claim.

@tompatterson1548

2 жыл бұрын

@@professorbutters5201 good omens?

As someone that has to study the godsforsaken thing this semester, Birds is ABSOLUTELY batshit insane and really does not let up on the slapstick or the dick jokes - at one point, they make sex jokes while wearing saucepans on their heads. My professors have said ‘dick’, ‘cock’, and ‘fuck’ FAR too many times this semester for me to take the unit seriously

So basically "Saturday Night Live" with Aristophanes.

@boazjamesmiller6387

9 ай бұрын

I think Saturday Night Live would be considered way too tame and PG-rated to compare to Aristophanes.

I gotta say. That part with the wine baby thing, actually sounds hilarious 😂.

Makes you wonder how a meeting between Arisophanes and Diogenes would go...

@kornaros96

2 жыл бұрын

Κλαυσιγελος

"He grabs a baby as a hostage" was just said, and then moved on from like its the most normal thing in the world lol

@kohakuaiko

2 жыл бұрын

As one does.

I had a small role (Ismene of Boetia) in a college production of Lysistrata. Good gracious, that was FUN. Your passing remark about men on stage wearing garish cloth penises (or to that effect) reminded me that our production got chewed on by a critic for not going with nudity. Our director told costuming to make... well, yes. Garish cloth penises. Our chitons were loose and comfy, too. I think someone was upset that he didn't get to see some of us without them. As I was 18, I'm very glad he didn't get an eyeful. A lot of us were wearing those things regimental style anyway.

Being a Greek high school student, Aristophanes is a HUGE taboo at school. Even though studying "Eleni" of Euripides is a mandatory subject, simply discussing the works of Aristophanes makes teachers turn red. Thankfully our teacher was brave enough to ditch Eleni midway and having us study Frogs pArTly instead. And let me say, the part we studied was enough to make him go back to Eleni.

I study classics at Exeter Uni and in my first year the classics society performed Lysistrata, only slightly altered, and by Dionysus it was glorious.

So..is this what they mean by "it's funny because it's true"?

The Birds is one of the most wild and hilarious classic play you will ever see, 10/10 would do erotic bird roleplay again.

Ah, Greek comedy ... I have fond memories of a college class I took on classical theatre where we actually spent a month in Greece. We performed excerpts from the Oresteia in the theatre at Delphi, heard my professor declaim the Iliad from the sweet spot when we visited the asclepeion at Epidaurus, visited the real spots where half a dozen of the tragic plays were set. And we also smuggled sheets and pillows and socks out of our fancy hotel to turn them into fat suits and giant fake dongs to rehearse Women at the Thesmophoria. Good times.

1:30 in and Blue has already been iconic several times. Our boy is on fire!

“Athens HAPPENED”- Greece in a nutshell, honestly.

"Epic, Lyric, Athens" Dear god no

@peterromeo4379

2 жыл бұрын

Well after that it’s Rome so…. well I guess it can always get worse

@CollinMcLean

2 жыл бұрын

@@peterromeo4379 And then after that the Mongols... and then after that England...

Aristophanes: ruthlessly roasts Athens Athens: He’s so funny, I can’t even be mad about it!

philosophy and science:advancing Athens:Alright LETS BOOST THE ADVANCEMENT 1000%

Oh fuck Revali is just a character from Birds who got lost in Hyrule huh

Assembly Women sounds like it could have been written today. The satire still holds up after 2000 years.

Birds is a veryyyy weird play... but amazing

Last time I was this early Socrates was still a Hoplite

"got us some Sappho, love that" yes, yes we do (:

The Sondheim musical/broadway adaptation of Aristophanes' The Frogs has always been a favorite of mine, except the playwrights are *Shaw* & *Shakespeare!*

@professorbutters5201

2 жыл бұрын

Has anyone else here seen that? My God, I so wish it had been filmed with Nathan Lane.

The only reason i know the "frogs of Aristophanes" is from the lyrics in modern major general. I have no idea what it actually entails 🤷

@andrewphilos

2 жыл бұрын

I only know about it because there's a famous passage in it about how bad money follows good. "Yet these we oft forsake for men of brass..."

@merrittanimation7721

2 жыл бұрын

Dionysus getting annoyed on his way to the Underworld

@keepperspective

2 жыл бұрын

Gilbert and Sullivan as the musical Aristophanes.

@lirazel6414

2 жыл бұрын

@@keepperspective That's rather accurate. I'm pleased. Thanks.

Always wonderful to be reminded that raunchy satire and lampooning meme lords have been with us since the start.

Me clicking this vid: oh sweet, Eratosthenes Blue: um, no sweatie

I have only made it through "The Frogs," but I loved it. Honestly, it might be nice to see Aristophanes make a bit of a comeback- a lot of people were complaining about how much Shakespeare is presented today, but he is around partially because he is in the public domain (IE free to perform).

"Worth his olive oil" was way funnier than it should have been to me

Really want to see more Aristophanes. The biggest problem is that very few theatre companies ever realise how great it could be. Closest has been Ben Jonson, The Alchemist.

@donweatherwax9318

4 ай бұрын

Ah, the good _Alchemist._ Not that Paolo Coelho thing from 1988; the REAL _Alchemist._

Best part is, his plays are so relevant to modern democratic societies, that it makes it easy to find and read or even watch one of his plays. (There are also some variants)

@patrickfrost9405

2 жыл бұрын

I'm not sure how the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea would appreciate anything to do with the west, butt k.

@riakaraofficial

2 жыл бұрын

@@patrickfrost9405 didn't expect this to be honest

YAYYYYYY I've been waiting for you to cover Aristophanes! It's phenomenal that so much of his humor still works today. And watching Red's video on Dionysus it's astonishing to realize the same year as Euripides Bacchae, with the fierce and mysterious god, had Aristophanes' Frogs with Dionysus as a slapstick lead character.

1:57, Satyr Plays. Love that visual joke ! The laughter jumped from my throat !

after watching this video i read the acharnians. the thing that struck me the most was how certain parts sounded like a monty python skit. nicarchus: you can't buy birds from that guy! his city is allied with sparta! dicaeopolis(the main character): you denounce birds? n: yes! and i denounce you too! you have brought wicks to athens that cane from an enemy city! d: what's wrong with the wicks? n: an enemy could use one to burn down our arsenal. d: how? n: well if you tied it to an insect wing and had a good north wind you could use a tube to throw it into the arsenal and if it landed on something flammable then the whole thing would go up! and all i can imagine is the part of the holy grail where arthur tells the black knight "you're a loony"

oh osp, as i sip my tea i see you render in 2d your greek maps ever so beautifully and as it still pains me to see a vid on Aristophanes but no journey!!

@eshbena

2 жыл бұрын

Someday... saome fine, wonderful day, we will get the next chapter of Journey. But, that day is not today. >sobs brokenly in a corner

@oriong.7507

2 жыл бұрын

@@eshbena Be strong, my friend, for it will happen with time. As is the way with all things, you must let it come to you. :)

I have the 1925 edition of Lysistrata, illustrated by Norman Lindsay and translated by his brother, Jack Lindsay. It's great read and the illustrations... Well... It is Norman Lindsay. I do like the choice by Jack to make all the Spartans speak with a Scottish accent, it goes so well with how they are portrayed.

I’ve seen Wasps and Clouds, and I can say - the jokes aged magnificently.

I want you to know, that I find myself quoting your "let's do some history." every time I have to do any historical research these days.

Awww, Athens. The original DIVA

There's something about a greek-themed book cover with the nuclear disarmament sign on it that makes me smile

In John Green's Crash Course World History #5 "The Persians and The Greeks." His Open Letter to Aristophanes sums that man up in such an elegant and humorous way.

If they existed at the time, Aristophanes would’ve made at least 10 ligma jokes over his career

@erichayes8445

2 жыл бұрын

Oh way more than that

@Toonrick12

Жыл бұрын

What's balls?

I read a collection of Aristophanes's plays a few years ago. Most of what I remember is how bizarre it felt whenever he veered off plot to make some sort of snarky comment about people he didn't like (particularly Cleon). It's been over 2000 years, and we still know about the petty beef between these people.

it is incredible how relatable the Athenians are when written by Aristophanes. Truly the human condition never changes even as the physical and cultural conditions do.

Well my reading pile just got significantly deeper. Thanks, Blue, I was barely a mile from the bottom.

Last time I was this early Socrates hadn’t yet drunk his poison

Might be a great for history, bad for my English grade

A character has a monologue apologizing to his phallus in Lysistrata because his wife refuses to give me any. That plat is amazing.

I was 12 when I went to see Lysistrata in the ancient theater of Epidaurus. I definitely didn't expect the feet long dongs.

People making fun of the ruler, elites, divinity, society and rules is the greatest sign of a healthy democracy.

We learned about this guy in my history class this year!

it's crazy to think his comedy made more people laugh today with your video, than he ever did in his entire life

Comedy's one of those genres where it's of the utmost importance you put you on a page. Your humor, your problems, in this case. Aristophanes definitely did that.