Event

Speaker: Amy Lewis, Loeb Classical Library Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Title: "Aristophanes vs. Phrynichus in the 'Frogs'"

Abstract: Aristophanes’ Frogs was first performed at the Lenaea festival of 405 BCE in competition with Plato’s 'Cleophon' and Phrynichus comicus’ 'Muses'. This paper argues that 'Frogs' contains a series of subtle agonistic digs against Phrynichus comicus. Most of Aristophanes’ jokes at Phrynichus’ expense have gone unnoticed because he shares his name with a tragic poet and a politician. Here it is argued that Aristophanes purposefully plays with the ambiguity of the name Phrynichus to mock his Lenaean rival. Aristophanes ultimately associates Phrynichus comicus with Euripides. Euripides’ defeat in Frogs’ agon can be understood as a comic enactment of Phrynichus comicus’ defeat at the Lenaea.

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