Lysistrata is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city states by denying all the men of the land any sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired.

Why was Lysistrata written?

Shown in 411 BCE at the Lenaea festival in Athens, it was written during the final years of the war between Athens and Sparta. The play is essentially a dream about peace. Many Greeks believed the war was bringing nothing but ruin to Greece, making it susceptible to Persian attack.

What was the purpose of Lysistrata?

Lysistrata persuades the women of the warring cities to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace—a strategy, however, that inflames the battle between the sexes.

Is Lysistrata a true story?

1. Lysistrata may have been based on an actual Athenian woman. The name Lysistrata means "the dissolver of armies" in ancient Greek. Some scholars have noted that Lysistrata may have been loosely modeled on an Athenian woman named Lysimache, a name that means "the dissolver of battle".

What does Lysistrata literally mean?

Lysistrata (/laɪˈsɪstrətə/ or /ˌlɪsəˈstrɑːtə/; Attic Greek: Λυσιστράτη, Lysistrátē, "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC.

Lysistrata by Aristophanes | Summary & Analysis

18 related questions found

How old is Lysistrata?

“Lysistrata” was first staged in 411 BCE, just two years after Athens' catastrophic defeat in the Sicilian Expedition, a turning-point in the long-running Peloponnesian War aginst Sparta, and, after 21 years of war, there seemed as little prospect of peace as ever.

In what century were the Athens started producing great dramas?

Greek theatre began in the 6th century BCE in Athens with the performance of tragedy plays at religious festivals. These, in turn, inspired the genre of Greek comedy plays. The two types of Greek drama would be hugely popular and performances spread around the Mediterranean and influenced Hellenistic and Roman theatre.

Why does Lysistrata say that she is ashamed to be a woman?

Why does Lysistrata say that she is ashamed to be a woman? ... Women don't stand up to male slander. You just studied 28 terms!

Who gave the world its first treaty of drama?

According to ancient tradition, Thespis was the first actor in Greek drama. He was often called the inventor of tragedy, and his name was recorded as the first to stage a tragedy at the Great (or City) Dionysia (c. 534 bc).

What period is satyr play?

It seems that the satyr play was introduced into the Athenian dramatic festival programme at some time between 520 and 510 bc, invented by Pratinas.

Who wrote about the Peloponnesian War?

Herodotus was still alive at the start of the Peloponnesian War, but another Greek, Thucydides, would write its history. Thucydides was born into a wealthy Athenian family about 460 B.C. Little else is known about the first 30 years of his life.

Which period belongs the satyr play?

The satyric drama may be traced back to Pratinas of Phlius, c. 500 BC. After settling in Athens, he probably adapted the dithyramb, customary in his native home, with its chorus of satyrs, to complement the form of tragedy which had been recently invented in Athens.

Who Wrote Antigone?

Sophocles is thought to have written over 100 plays, but only seven fully survive today: Ajax, Antigone, Trachinian Women, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes, and Oedipus at Colonus.

What did the ancient Greek playwrights use as inspiration for the stories they told?

Performed in an open-air theatre (theatron) such as that of Dionysos in Athens and seemingly open to all of the male populace (the presence of women is contested), the plot of a tragedy was almost always inspired by episodes from Greek mythology, which we must remember were often a part of Greek religion.

What did Lysistrata argue before the magistrate?

As the policemen run off, the Commissioner and Lysistrata are left to argue about the Peloponnesian War. ... Lysistrata tells the Commissioner that war is a concern of women because women have sacrificed greatly for it—women have given their husbands and their sons to the effort.

Who is Lysistratas neighbor?

Calonice is Lysistrata's neighbor, and just like Lysistrata, Calonice is respectable middle-class...

What main character is the antagonist in Lysistrata?

Protagonist and Antagonist

The protagonist is Lysistrata and the antagonists are the men of Greece.

What is Lysistrata quizlet?

Lysistrata is an Athenian woman who is sick and tired of war and the treatment of women in Athens. ... Lysistrata is the least feminine of the women from either Athens or Sparta, and her masculinity helps her gain respect among the men.

Who wrote Lysistrata?

Aristophanes: Lysistrata

This comedy was written not long after the catastrophic defeat of the Athenian expedition to Sicily (413...…

Who were the 4 playwrights of this time?

Ancient Greek Playwrights

• ARISTOPHANES. ...
• AESCHYLUS. ...
• SOPHOCLES. ...
• EURIPIDES.

When did Greek theatre start and end?

The theatre of Ancient Greece flourished between 550 BC and 220 BC. A festival honouring the god Dionysus was held in Athens, out of which three dramatic genres emerged: tragedy, comedy and the satyr play.

Is Lampito a Spartan?

Lampito. Lampito is representative of Spartan women. Lampito is a large, well-built woman who American audiences might imagine with a thick Appalachian accent (by Arrowsmith's translation, Sparta was the Greek equivalent of the stereotypically South). Lampito brings the Spartan women into Lysistrata's plan.

How was Lysistrata originally performed?

All plays were performed in the open air, during the day. The stage was a circular dance floor and the audience occupied half of the stage. The actors wore masks that completely obscured their facial features and emotions were only shown by words and gesture.

Is Lysistrata a feminist?

Lysistrata was a female turned masculine to keep the other women, controlled by their insatiable vices, in order. While some of her passages may seem uniquely feminist, that does not constitute her as a feminist figure. In fact, the play is rampantly anti-feminist when its context is understood.