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On War and Injustice: Aristophanes Acharnians 513-578
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On War and Injustice: Aristophanesā Acharnians 513-578
Prepared for delivery at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC, September 1-4 2005. (Rough draft, please do not cite).
***
The focus of this paper is Aristophanesā anti-war comedy the Acharnians (425
BCE). This comedy, like the majority of Aristophanesā comedies, is a highly topical play, deeply rooted in the events of its time. As Jeffrey Henderson (1998) points out, the comedy was written on the sixth year after the onset of the Peloponnesian War. At this point in time the Athenian financial reserves were depleted and the war had reached an impasse. This, despite initial optimistic assurances that the Athenians would quickly prevail over the Spartans. Against this background some Athenians began questioning the wisdom of continuing the war (ibid p. 48). This play questions not only the wisdom of continuing the war, but also the wisdom of staring the war over the Megarian decree which was in effect an economic embargo of Megara, an ally of Sparta. Within the context of the whole play lines 513-578, it could be argued, represent Aristophanesā efforts at engendering a critical examination of the war.
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Lines 513-517 when Dikaiopolis or the Just-City, gives a speech to defend himself against a group of enraged Acharnians over the fact of his private peace treaty with the enemy, marks the beginning of that critical examination, it reads:
Dikaiopolis: And yet I askāfor only friends are present for this speech--why do we blame the Spartans for this? For it was men of oursāI do not say the polis, remember that, I do not say the polisābut some trouble-making excuses for men
( Ī½Ī“ĻĪ±ĻĪÆĪ±),
misminted, un-
honourable
( ĻĪ¹Ī¼Ī±),
brummagem, and foreign-made who begun
denouncing the Megariansā little cloaks.
Dikaiopolis breaks the dramatic illusion of the play to tell the audience that only āfriendsā are present for his speech. Previously, on line 505, Dikaiopolis had made a similar comment by saying that no foreigners were present for this comedy. This remark, that āonly friendsā are present, signals another attempt on our poetās part at establishing a greater level of trust between his mouthpiece, Dikaiopolis, and his audience. Political sensibility, in turn, demands that such a trust be established from oneās fellow-citizens if one dares to claim that the enemy is not entirely to blame for a war. Political prudence on the other hand demands that one refrains from accusing oneās state of starting a war. Leo Straussā comment, āGod forbid that Dikaiopolis should say that the Athenians, the city of Athens, started the warā highlights the fine line which Aristophanes must juggle (1966:65).
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| | Authors: Panagiotarakou, Eleni. |
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On War and Injustice: Aristophanesā Acharnians 513-578
Prepared for delivery at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science
Association, Washington, DC, September 1-4 2005. (Rough draft, please do not cite).
***
The focus of this paper is Aristophanesā anti-war comedy the Acharnians (425
BCE). This comedy, like the majority of Aristophanesā comedies, is a highly topical
play, deeply rooted in the events of its time. As Jeffrey Henderson (1998) points out, the
comedy was written on the sixth year after the onset of the Peloponnesian War. At this
point in time the Athenian financial reserves were depleted and the war had reached an
impasse. This, despite initial optimistic assurances that the Athenians would quickly
prevail over the Spartans. Against this background some Athenians began questioning
the wisdom of continuing the war (ibid p. 48). This play questions not only the wisdom of
continuing the war, but also the wisdom of staring the war over the Megarian decree
which was in effect an economic embargo of Megara, an ally of Sparta. Within the
context of the whole play lines 513-578, it could be argued, represent Aristophanesā
efforts at engendering a critical examination of the war.
***
Lines 513-517 when Dikaiopolis or the Just-City, gives a speech to defend himself
against a group of enraged Acharnians over the fact of his private peace treaty with the
enemy, marks the beginning of that critical examination, it reads:
Dikaiopolis: And yet I askāfor only friends are present for this
speech--why do we blame the Spartans for this? For it was men of ours
āI do not say the polis, remember that, I do not say the polisābut
some trouble-making excuses for men
( Ī½Ī“ĻĪ±ĻĪÆĪ±),
misminted, un-
honourable
( ĻĪ¹Ī¼Ī±),
brummagem, and foreign-made who begun
denouncing the Megariansā little cloaks.
Dikaiopolis breaks the dramatic illusion of the play to tell the audience that only
āfriendsā are present for his speech. Previously, on line 505, Dikaiopolis had made a
similar comment by saying that no foreigners were present for this comedy. This remark,
that āonly friendsā are present, signals another attempt on our poetās part at establishing
a greater level of trust between his mouthpiece, Dikaiopolis, and his audience. Political
sensibility, in turn, demands that such a trust be established from oneās fellow-citizens if
one dares to claim that the enemy is not entirely to blame for a war. Political prudence on
the other hand demands that one refrains from accusing oneās state of starting a war. Leo
Straussā comment, āGod forbid that Dikaiopolis should say that the Athenians, the city of
Athens, started the warā highlights the fine line which Aristophanes must juggle
(1966:65).
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