Aristophanes

Aristophanes (c. 446–386 BCE) was an ancient Athenian playwright and the chief representative of Old Comedy. Writing during the late fifth and early fourth centuries BCE, he became famous for bold political satire, exuberant fantasy, and inventive wordplay. His comedies lampooned prominent public figures and debated issues of war, peace, education, and civic life in democratic Athens. Among his best-known surviving plays are *The Clouds*, *Lysistrata*, *The Birds*, *The Frogs*, and *The Wasps*. Aristophanes’ works are a major source for understanding Athenian culture, theatrical practice, and the social tensions of his era.