Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-24

Of his pungent wit The morals ana Of Athenan
women are imned with dashng freedom in the Eccle-
sazusae" and the "Thesmophoraxusae," to say no
thing of the Lysistrata." In the Wasps" we have
admirable ezposs Of the igious procivity of the
sprightly and spirited Ahenians; in the " "Plutus" we
have an alegory the unequal distribution of wealth
and property showing that Athens like Paris, had her
Proudhons. The " Birds is nimtable burlesque on
the national mythology Of the "men Of Athens" whom
five centuries afterwards the great Apostle of the Gen
tiles pronounced " in oil things too superstitious."
We have said that Arisophanes modern, and his
age modern age in all its great leading charac
for what do find him satrzing in his comedies but
those very foes which adde the brains and sophstcae
the common Of divers and women in this nine
teenth century, The agitation Of womans rights we
learn, is no new development Of progressive
democracy" nor is it phenomenon peculiar to our
American civilization; for in the Eccesaxusae as
ably expounded by distinguished classical profess
in the cousss Gn;scntan lectures during the last
wiuter, hare accqunt Of petticoat govern
ens attempted ii over the lords q cres
ton" in Athcns and in anoth play We actually find the
{" "strong-minded women" of the Attic city banded
gether in league Of provisional and temporary misoga
my in order to fatigue the into compliance
with their measures
But whatever may be thought Of these TOPICS it will
be universally admitted that the genius of Arstophanes
is Of the highest order in comic art Such plays he
has composed would have been impossible creations in
any city Athens and in any age of Athens that
Of Arisophanes The time and place exactly suit
ed in the unrestrained license which they admitted to
produce and foster comic poet who should give loose
reins to wild and folcsome imagination, fer Athens
in reality city quite wondrous the Nephelo-
coceygia-the Cloud town-which poet fegns
the realms of air, with its motley Of priests poets,
demagogues, soothsayers geometers, lawgvers, syco
plants, and philosophers. The Athenians
PRECIOUS in their literary taste in their political policy
1t the people which banished Arstdes because
they could not bear to hear him called "the just and
which fined Phrynicus because his tragic dialogue
pathetic and touching for their endure which
voted the freedom of their city to the descendants of
ChGrphus because their father sold such excellent salt
fish, and which starved Anaxandrides to death because
he satrxed their Government in his comedy which de-
serted Alcibades in the midst Of speech to after
bird and which went to the theatre day to weep
the tragedies of Eurpides and thronged it the next to
laugh their parodies by the comic Arisophanes
the people which listened to the teachings of
Socrates in the groves Of Academus, laughed him to
in the basket aud clouds of Arstophanes egged
Metus in his prosecution condemned the sage to drink
the fatal hemock, and deifed him when dead. popu-
lace tickle and lawless, witty and acute,
temptble and admirable the world has before or
since produced
The Athenians "organized" their pleasures. Plea
sure was part of their daily business and theatrical
principal part of their pleasure. In their
economy the theatre not among us, the resort of
iders who lounge cushioned amid the glare Of
gas and ooghts after the days allotted tasks end
ed They always attended the theatre in the morning
and there beneath the southern wall Of the Acropolis
seated benches Of stone scooped out OF the solid rock
with the sunlight streaming in from the sky above, the
Parhenon hanging overhead and the valley of the ssus
lying beneath, the population Of Athens assisted" at
the tragic drama OF Sophoces and made merry the
banquet of profusely spread by the comic Aristo
planes The fondness for literary excitement and pas
sion for novelty furnish fancy, clue which enables
to thread the abyrnthine Of Athensn dramatic
art. With this clue comprehend how the same
people might venerate Socrates at the Lyceum and yet
think him fair game for joke at the theatre of Baechus
how they could applaud Buripides morning and
chucke his caricature by Arisophanes They
listened to plays much in the spirit and for the
same end as we moderns of the present day read hot
spiced romances like inimitabe and unapprOachable
. Uncle Tom"
But, to return to Aristophanes, may venture to
charge him with too often deserng the humorous and
witty for the censorous and satrca 1t is acutey OBJ
served by Colerdge that when serious satire commences
or satire felt be serious however comicay dressed the
ludcrous ceases and laughter losing its heartnes
becomes sardonic Instead of Attic SALT Arstophanes
sometimes deals in squaforts. Eurpides is certainly
not our favorte among the Greek tragedans, he
Millions but yet cannot help thinking that the author
Of the Frogs is good deal too hard upon him. There
Is nothing that Eurpdes writes which Arisophanes does
not forthwith decompose into the materials for comedy
His caustic wit fssens upon him instinctively
falcon on its quarry There is nothing in the genius
birth circumstances character, works Of Eurpides
that does pass in malignant and roncal review under
the hands Of the great Athenian buoOn," as Bishop
HuRp styles him. There is brilliant genius and flashing
wit displayed in these inmitsbe csrcatures but they
qualities Of the head purchased at the expense Of
higher and nobcr feelings of the heart.
The plays Of Arisophsnes founded, as We have init
mated vague yet telling hints at passing events in
political social world of Athens, on the ingenious
parody Of Eurpides or often both combined, enable
Us to and appreciate the subtle and piercing
genius Of the Atheniar popuace, who, without the aid
Of show-bils or programmes Of newspapers, never
missed single point OF the poets satirical and comic
wit That o species Of drama Schlege has observed,
intended solely for popular amusement in one particular
city should have admitted ha1arded so rich display
Of poetry this is circumstance which must give the
highest possible doa il OF the general respectable
ty Of the lveliness wit and correct taste Of the
in that remarkable State which formed the focus
and central point Of all the eoquenoe and refinement
we'll OF all the lsrlessness and all the corruption OF
the Greeks.