Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-24
ARISTOPHANES ON
VOTES FOR WOMEN
How the Satirist Of Athens Han
died the Question in the
Days of Old
BY JAMES J. WALSH, NJ. D.. Lift. D.

ny JAMES j. WALSH, VI. D., Lift. ID.
Director Ff 56n sa'T of tho School
MOST people are inclined to think this Is
1N1 the first time in the history of the
world that there has ever been the slightest
thought Of giving the vote to women, or OF
the women daring TO express any desire for
IL, and that we are the witnesses in our
generation Of great new development OF
humanity almost unheard of before
Many seem to think that this represents
the latest phase Of evolution in which at least
1t has come TO be recognized that woman has
"a mind and Il right to use It ana secure its
development and to apply it to the problems
OF humanity IN a practical way: all of which.
OF course is nonsense and only due 10 the
fact that most people who talk much
about progress in our time know next TO
nothing about the past and not very much
even about their own time. It is compare
lively easy 10 vaunt our present day progress
ignoring the past, but rather difficult when
one knows history and archaeology, for
archaeology has been adding new chapters
to our knowledge Of feminine influence even
In the very oldest times.
II was Of course, quite inevitable that the
Greeks should have thought ov"r thi" proh-
lem of the place of woman, and many besides
Plato touched on it. Aristophanes ha no
less than three satires ON womens activities
in Athens. In each one of which there Is
some question Of their political ambitions and
their feeling tnat they could rule the state
probably better than the men, and in one
Of which, the EccleSiaZusae, THE Female
Parliament" as the name OF this comedy has
been freely rendered, the subject Of votes for
women is handled in quite modern fashion.
When he wrote his satire on "The War II
was actually occupying all the attention.
When he wrote The Peace the war had al
ready lasted ten years and not long after
came the conclusion of tho treaty known
as tie Peace Of Nicias which men hoped
was to hold good for fifty years but alas
did not When he wrote The Clouds" " and
satirzed Socrates, It's prcScntatiCn took place
within the gear of the death Of that phil.
oBopEur.
In the first Of trc comedies on women
"I.ysistrnta." Aretouuan"s -onr"ec1tg = holv
Of the elder raatrons Rciz.ng the Acropolis
making themselves InatreHaes -. the public
treasur,. and thus Cf the Government; The
women have resolved on voluntary srpaga
| rIon from their husbands lnersa c: tforO
| "Srom bed and board" until peaC" shai! Ia
| proclaimed
rho won,cn who have ocoupird the citndcI
must bold IT, however, In cTGe: to maintain
! their authority. # II not Cno;;9N. Hs many a
| good government party has learned. "to tarn
| the raaccls cut" on election day and then 80
| yff aboIt ones business and let the govern
| mcut run itself The politicians knoY that
| they must stay on the Job The eoo-gnos
| are Usually ousted at tie next election le-
| cauEa tney 10 not.
The women in Aris:ophancss comedy At
| Athens soon find that while it was an IN
| teresting novelty in life just TO take possea.
| sion OF tho government 1t is quite another
| thing 10 stay in the citadel and maintain Il;
| They are ever much more interested 10
| the things at home. As Il result they ur,
| caught creeping out OF tho citadel, even let
| ting themselves down from the walls pro
| carlously by all sorts OF ropes and at tho
| risk Of being dashed TO pieces on the rocks
| IL Is clear. however that before long the
| women Will have abandoned their posts and
| 40 iron, the vantage ~rou-d ~ IN" citadnI an
| arrangement is made by which--the Spartan
| wives being by dramatic license present in
| Athens aisO-the Spartan men are invited 10
| a banquet In which they sit down with IN,
| Athenians, and the women we'll know thar
| after a good feed the enmity between them
| will disappear and a peace be signed
! In THE Female Parliament" the women
| unable 20 obtain their rights IN tho ordinary
| course OF political events resolved 20 secure
them by strategy. They Disguised them
| selves as men, wearing their hu.bands
brogans lest their smaller feet shoulf bstny
them. putting on false boards and changing
| the outer appearance OF their garments. AS
! men and women both wore tho long chltOn
this was not dinloult. Virtually the only
difference between tho men and tho women
4 was that the sirdlo or belt WAS worn q little
higher ~ tlAe women than tho men Il Il