Lysistrata, as is Aristophanes’ custom, addresses this contemporary conflict head-on, making the Peloponnesian War the focus of the protagonist’s anti-war efforts. The two plays selected for the Cincinnati Dionysia were composed and performed during the same decade ( The Trojan Women in 415 B.C.E., Lysistrata in 411 B.C.E.) as the Greek world suffered the political, economic and human consequences of a decades-long conflict between Athens and Sparta. Though only a limited selection of their works survive, both playwrights were extraordinarily prolific, with Aristophanes writing 40 and Euripides more than 90 plays within their lifetimes. Euripides turned his view to the mythical past, exploring questions of power, duty and identity through the troubles and torments of mythological figures. Aristophanes was known for writing comedies that presented sharp political commentary on current problems, often through wacky and absurdist scenarios. The two playwrights were contemporaries in 5th-century B.C.E. The Cincinnati Dionysia - a name inspired by the City Dionysia, the ancient Athenian religious festival that featured several days of theatrical performances in competition - brings together two dramas with wildly different tones: Lysistrata, Aristophanes’ uproarious sex comedy, and The Trojan Women, Euripides’ tragic meditation on the aftermath of war.

By Caitlin Hines, Assistant Professor in UC College of Arts and Sciences Classics Department

Lysistrata play