The theatrical stages woven with Athenian laughter were born in the sacred drunkenness of Dionysos. In this meeting, we will uncover the earliest roots of comedy, the world behind the masks, and the ancient power of laughter.

• From Dionysian Festivals to Comedy: From Ritual to Stage
• Old Comedy: Aristophanes and His Contemporaries
• Athenian Democracy and the Culture of Satire
• The Social Function of Comedy: Critique and Humor
• Mythological Links of Comedy: Satyrs, Masks, and Wine

Aristophanes, the wittiest voice of Athenian stages, was a master of humor and critique. The comedies he penned were not just sources of laughter, but elegant acts of defiance directed at the spirit of his time. In this session, we will also listen to the world that echoes with the words of Aristophanes.

• 🎭 Peace – The dream of a farmer bringing peace to a world weary of war.
• 🎭 The Wasps – A sharp satire of courts and litigation madness.
• 🎭 Lysistrata – A bold play where women use love to stop war.
• 🎭 The Birds – A dreamy utopia where humans try to build a city with birds.
• 🎭 The Women at the Thesmophoria – A comic plot by women in secret rites against the poet Euripides.
• 🎭 The Knights – A comedy written against the political corruption of Athens.