Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazusae : philosophizing theatre and the politics of perception in late fifth-century Athens

2014·2.57 MB·English

by  Aristophanes

ARISTOPHANES’ THESMOPHORIAZUSAE
Aristophanes’comicmasterpieceThesmophoriazusaehaslongbeenrecognized
amongst the plays of Old Comedy for its deconstruction of tragic theatricality.
ThisbookrevealsthatthisdeconstructionisgroundednotsimplyinAristophanes’
wider engagement with tragic realism. It demonstrates that from the outset
Aristophanes’playdrawsuponParmenides’philosophicalrevelationsconcerning
realityandillusion,employingEleaticstricturesandimagerytophilosophizethe
theatricalsituation,criticizeAristophanes’poeticrivalEuripidesaspromulgator
of harmful deceptions, expose the dangerous complicity of Athenian theatre
audiencesintragicillusion,andarticulatepoliticaladvicetoanaudiencenegoti-
atingaperiodofpoliticalturmoilcharacterizedbydeceptionanduncertainty(the
months before the oligarchic coup of 411 bc). The book thereby restores
Thesmophoriazusae to its proper status as a philosophical comedy and reveals
hitherto unrecognized evidence of Aristophanes’ political use of Eleatic ideas
duringthelatefifthcenturybc.
Ashley Clements is Lecturer in Greek Literature and Philosophy at Trinity
CollegeDublin.
cambridge classical studies
Generaleditors
r.l. hunter, r.g. osborne, m. millett, d.n. sedley,
g.c. horrocks, s.p. oakley, w.m. beard
ARISTOPHANES’ THESMOPHORIAZUSAE
PhilosophizingTheatreandthePoliticsofPerceptioninLate
Fifth-CenturyAthens
ASHLEY CLEMENTS
UniversityPrintingHouse,Cambridgecb28bs,UnitedKingdom
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©FacultyofClassics,UniversityofCambridge2014
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Firstpublished2014
PrintedintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc.
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Clements,Ashley.
Aristophanes’Thesmophoriazusae:Philosophizingtheatreandthepoliticsof
perceptioninlatefifth-centuryathens/AshleyClements.
pages cm.–(CambridgeClassicalStudies)
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
isbn978-1-107-04082-3(hardback)
1. Aristophanes.Thesmophoriazusae. 2. Aristophanes–Criticism,
Textual. 3. Greekdrama(Comedy)–Criticism,Textual. I. Title.
pa3875.t5c48 2014
8820.01–dc23
2013037429
isbn978-1-107-04082-3Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
urlsforexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements pagevii
Listofabbreviations x
Proagōn:Atragicfable xii
1 Introduction 1
2 Rereadingtheprologue 12
3 Sophisticmodels:eristicandἀντιλογία 28
4 OnWhat-[It]-Is-Not:GorgiasandEmpedocles 33
5 OnWhat-[It]-Is:Parmenides,para-Doxaand 43
mortalerror
6 Conclusion 159
Appendices 195
Bibliography 200
Indexofprincipalpassagesdiscussed 221
Generalindex 224
v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IfirststumbledacrossthekernelofthisbookaspartofaCambridge
doctoral thesis begun in 2001. I had then set out to explore an
Aristophanic comedy invested in ‘popular epistemology’ and, as
such, a polemical respondent to philosophy, but what I began
to glimpse in the Thesmophoriazusae was a comedy thoroughly
embroiled with it – and Parmenides no less. The resultant book
hastakensolongtowritebecauseofthechallengesofinterpreting–
inonecaseagainstthegrainoforthodoxreadings–twoofthemost
beguiling of ancient authors, whose difficult texts, I must freely
confess,continuetoeludemeinallsortsoftantalizingways.
My ongoingexperienceof trying to grasp themleaves mewith
anabundanceofdebtstomanyextraordinaryscholarsandfriends.
It has been my rare privilege to have had a series of superlative
teachersandadvisorsfromwhomIcontinuetolearn,who,invarious
differentways,firsttaughtmewhatonemustlearninordertobeginto
see: they include Charles Stewart and Hans van Wees at University
CollegeLondon;PaulMillett,PaulCartledge,whofirstsupervisedmy
doctoralstudiesofAristophanesandhasremainedasourceofencour-
agement ever since, and Robin Osborne in Cambridge; Michael
Clarke in Galway; Barbara Graziosi and Christopher Rowe in
Durham.Ithankthemalldearlyhere.
I would also like to acknowledge those who kindly read earlier
versionsofpartsofthisbookwhenintheformofthedoctoralthesis
andwhoofferedvaluablecriticismandpreciouswordsofencourage-
ment: my thanks to Paul Cartledge, John Dillon, Simon Goldhill,
BarbaraGraziosi,JonHesk,LizIrwin,NickLowe,HansvanWees,
Carrie Vout, James Warren, as well as to Mark Bradley, Stephen
Lambert and Keith Sidwell, who all provided support at crucial
moments. I would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers of
Cambridge University Press, as well as Liz Hanlon and Michael
vii
acknowledgements
Sharp,GaiaPoggiogalli,andJanChapman,whoseexemplarycopy-
editing has manifestly improved the final book, and the academic
editors of the Cambridge Classical Studies series, without whose
supportthisworkwouldnotnowbeappearing.
Various seminar audiences – at Manchester, at St Andrews, at
conferencesinCorkandinMaynooth–haveinthelastfewyears
also offered their critical responses to the central claims of this
workandaregratefullyacknowledgedhere.
Ishouldalsoliketoexpressmygratitudetomycolleaguesinour
DepartmentofClassicsatTrinityCollegeDublin,whohaveafforded
me two periods of sabbatical leave in which to develop and finish
thiswork,andwhosethoughtsaboutvariousaspectsofithave,often
inunexpectedways,sharpenedmyown.Ioweparticularthanksto
Anna Chahoud, Martine Cuypers, Monica Gale and Christine
Morris, and to Brian McGing, who very kindly read a complete
earlierdraftofwhatfollowsandurgedmetosendittoapublisher.
That such a draft existed to show to anyone, however, has a
great deal to do with the involvement with this project, initially
as doctoral supervisor, of Robin Osborne. From its tentative
inception through to its appearance in print, Robin has been an
indefatigable voice of encouragement and advice, insight and
criticism, kindness and inspiration, and it is my great pleasure
now to offer my profound thanks to him for everything he has
done forme.
Lastly,therearemypersonaldebts,towhichitisimpossibleto
dojusticehere.Iwouldliketoexpressmyheartfeltgratitudetomy
Mum,tomyDad,tomysisterandbrotherin-law,andmynephew
and niece, for all their love and encouragement; and to Trish and
Steve, and to Sophie and Adam, for all their manifold kindnesses
and help along the way; and especially to two dear friends who
have bolstered and sustained me now for many years: Tim Hill,
who,withcharacteristicacuityandgoodhumour,kindlyread–as
wellasendlesslydiscussedwithme–earlierdraftsofthisbookto
itsgreatbetterment,andtowhosegood-heartednessinthisasinall
thingsIamsorelyindebted;andTrevorLee,whohasalwaysfound
time to listen and rally, and whose friendship and example ever
inspire; and finally, to Kate, for all her crucial love and support.
Thisbookisforher.
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