The fifth century B.C. was one of the most turbulent periods in the world's history. Greece was, once again, at war, expansionism was rampant and it seemed that the whole ancient world was undergoing radical social changes. As an Athenian government grew in size and power, corruption sprouted, graft became commonplace and the accumulation of property and wealth tended to become the central concern of more and more pof the population. Into this turbulent time he chose to use the satire wiscrack and rapid fire pot-shots to make his fellow Athenians take a fresh look at subjects like war, religion, politicians and materialism. In today's vernacular he might best be described as a chicken pot pie made up of Mort Sahl, Lenny Bruce, Bob Hope, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleeson, Neil Simon and a crust of Abbott and Costello and the Three Stooges.
Laughter is the most humanizing and vital of human reactions.
Perhaps S.N.Behrman put it best when he wrote that the ability to laugh at our pretensions and short comings is the true mark of a civilized nation. Cartoonist Al Capp once said that America's most important freedom was the freedom to laugh at ourselves.