Aristophanes' The Knights

Aristophanes' The Knights satirizes the everyday social and political life of Athens during the crucial time period of the Peloponnesian War. This play is unique in comparison to Aristophanes other plays, since it has a small number of characters invovled in the play.

For me, The Knights, is a complex play to keep up and understand what exactly is happening. It essentially involves a sausage seller named Agoracritus who view with Cleon for the approval of the Demos - Greek for 'The People'. The Demos in this play is represented by an elderly man who symbolizes the Athenians. Agoracritus then emerges as triumphant from a series of contests and then restores the Demos to its former glory.

Similarly to Aristophanes' The Wasps, key events are important in understanding the historical context of the play's landscape:

- 432: The Megarian decree (a set of economic sanctions) began a trade embargo by Athens against Megara. The Peloponnesian War then started soon after.

- 430: The Plague of Athens caused many deaths to Athenians, including some citizens such as Pericles.

- 427: Aristophanes produced his first play (The Banqueters) at the City Dionysis. Cleon carried a bill that proposed the retribution against a rebellious Athenian ally Mytilene. There was also a recurrence of the plague at about this time.

- 426: The Babylonians won first prize at the City Dionysia. Cleon than prosecuted Aristophanes for slandering the polis.

- 425: The Archarnians was produced at the Lenaia. Cleon criticized Athenian generals for procrastinating.

- 424: Aristophanes won first prize with The Knights at the Lenaia.

Old Comedy is a topical form of comic drama and its meanings are often deliberately obscured by various references to news and gossip and literature. The Knights obeys the typical conventions of Old Comedy, however, there are some variations in the play. These variations include the agon, concluding episodes, exodos, prologue, parados, symmetrical scenes and parabasis.