CLEON'S MASK AND A FLAMBOYANT COMEDIAN

A new comedy by a young upcoming dramatist created a storm at the Dionysus festival in Athens in the year 426 BC. In democratic Athens, such festivals which formed an integral part of Athenian civil life were sponsored by the government. Dionysus festival was one of the most prestigious, with people from outside Athens also flocking to witness the dramatic performances. At the backdrop lay the war which had broken out five years ago, and would go on for twenty two more, between Delian league lead by “Democratic” Athens and Peloponnesian league lead by “traditional” Sparta. The play “Babylonians”, presented amid this war situation, not only unleashed a merciless criticism against Cleon, the most powerful politician, but also portrayed Athens’ allies in the war as being forlorn slaves of Athens. Although Athens was known for freedom of expression, whether it should prevail over “Demos” was a question, especially in the time of war. Enraged Cleon threatened to sue the players for the contempt of the “Demos” – The People. The name of the dramatist was Aristophanes. He was 24 then. The details of the trial are not extant. In fact, whether it was the dramatist or the producer of the play who was charged and whether the case actually stood before the court of law is a matter of dispute among the scholars. It is undisputable though, that the dramatist survived this state oppression, since he not only continued to write plays but became even more brutal in his attack on Cleon, the charismatic demagogue.