Women Politicians In Aristophanes’ Comedy

Aristophanes focused on describing the female political figures of Athens city-state in Lysistrata,Thesmophoriazusae and Ecclesiazusae,and expressed his own political thoughts through positing that women as the rulers to rule the state,especially in Ecclesiazusae.The ancient Greek tradition of maternal rights regarded as the social background of Aristophanes’ creation of Women’s Play will be briefly described in the first part.Then,women’s unique temperament of wisdom and courage,which makes them more easily to conflict with men will be displayed by comparing female politicians with other people.The second part exhibits the conflict between female politicians and men,and shows the process of seizing male city-states by taking Ecclesiazusae as an example.Women break through the barriers of okios and build an ideal city-state,which not only means resistance to traditional patriarchy,but dispels the dominance of male rulers.The ideal country established by female politicians,however,seems to be perfect,it hides many drawbacks,among which the conflict caused by hetaerism’s policy is not only a warning issued by poets,but a manifestation of poets’ political thoughts.The third part is comparing the female’s city-state and Plato’s republic,which designed by Socrates is similar to the former one.The philosopher does not oppose women’s government,and his method that distinguishing the city-state class according to nature is obviously including the women governing.But the philosopher’s city-state is far more different from the poet’s,the latter’s is full of loopholes.By exploring the ideal country in Socrates’ words,it can be seen that philosophers have further sublimated women’s city-state politics while criticizing comedy poets.