Who were the parents of Aristophanes?
Aristophanes was born to a father named Philippus and a mother named Zenodora. His family was from the deme of Kydathenaion within the Attic tribe known as Pandionis.
Questions about Aristophanes
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Aristophanes produce his first play The Banqueters?
The Banqueters dates to 427 BC according to records of non-surviving plays. This production occurred during the fourth year of the Peloponnesian War when Athens was an ambitious imperial power.
How many plays did Aristophanes write in total?
Aristophanes wrote forty plays of which eleven survive virtually complete. Most surviving works are traditionally referred to by abbreviations of their Latin titles because Latin remains a customary language of scholarship in classical studies.
What role did Aristophanes serve in his own productions?
He served as the director or didaskalos who trained the chorus in rehearsal. This title also covered his relationship with the audience as a commentator on significant issues.
Which play by Aristophanes contributed to the trial of Socrates?
Plato singled out The Clouds as slander that contributed to the trial and subsequent condemning to death of Socrates. Unique blame fell upon Aristophanes even though other satirical playwrights had also caricatured the philosopher.