TWO MORE ANCIENT GREEK COMEDIES SEEN THROUGH MODERN EYES

Balladeer’s Blog’s previous looks at Seven Ancient Greek Comedies with Themes That Are Still Relevant , Four More Ancient Greek Comedies and Five More Ancient Greek Comedies … went over pretty well, so here are two more.

BAPTAE – Written by Eupolis, one of the Big Three of ancient Greek comedians. Aristophanes and Cratinus were the other two. This comedy satirized the latest “hot new cult” to hit Athens – worship of the Dorian and Thracian goddess Cotyto.

Practitioners would immerse, or “baptize” their garments in water containing exotic dyes, hence the term Baptae to describe them.

Many fashionable Athenians jumped on the bandwagon of this faddish cult just like celebrities of today mindlessly go along with “the latest thing” no matter what it is. The Baptae – who were all male – would celebrate their rituals by dressing up as the goddess Cotyto. All this, plus political jokes and Eupolis’ famous joke at the expense of Alcibiades himself. I include Alcibiades’ revenge years later.

For a more detailed review click HERE. 

ANTEIA – Written by Philyllius. This comedy was an example of the sub-genre of Attic Old Comedy called Hetaera Plays. Such comedies dealt with the high-class “kept women” who slept with noted politicians, entertainers and big-name tycoons.

Because these women often had a high social profile depending on who was paying for their favors at any given time, they were the perfect vehicles for either high-brow political and social satire OR for ribald insults directed at their rich and powerful male clients.

For a more detailed review click HERE.

For more ancient Greek comedies click here:   https://glitternight.com/ancient-greek-comedies/