#10 Humor As Resistance: Lessons from Ancient Greece

About this episode

This episode explores the use of humor as a tool of political resistance in ancient Greece, focusing on the works of Aristophanes during a time of war.

Comments? Send me a text message. In this episode, I trace the origins of humor as a tool of political resistance to fifth-century Athens, where the playwright Aristophanes used comedy to mock warmongering leaders, puncture male vanity, and make the case for peace — in front of thousands of citizens, at the height of a ruinous war. Drawing on the history of Aristophanes' two great anti-war plays — The Knights and Lysistrata — the episode explores what humor can do that marches, lawsuits...

People in this episode

Host: Michael C. Patterson

Topics covered

• humor
• political resistance
• ancient Greece
• comedy
• war
• Aristophanes

Keywords

• humor
• political resistance
• Aristophanes
• comedy
• anti-war
• Athens

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Knights, Lysistrata

Places: Athens

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