Ch. 2. Insults and Humiliations in Fifth-Century Historiography and Comedy

Abstract

Herodotos, Thoukydides, and Xenophon, in that descending order, include anecdotal descriptions of systematic humiliation through verbal and nonverbal digs and insults. Examples include Hippokleides’ symposiastic behaviour at Agariste’s wedding competition, Peisistratid insult to the sexual purity of Harmodios’ sister, Athenian mockery of a Spartan POW held in Athens after capture on Sphakteria, and Theramenes’ witty toast of his executioner Kritias (τὸ παιγνιῶδες). Aristophanes and other Attic Old Comedy poets traditionally and pervasively present characters who deride politicians, pretentious poets and other public figures. They animalise, infantilise, and feminise targets with political, social, and especially sexual insults. Aristophanes mocked objectionable (to him) habits, views, and actions of prominent individuals and groups throughout the Peloponnesian War. He demeaned their patriotism and justifications for war with (pseudo-) historical reasoning in Akharnians (425) and elsewhere (Peace, Frogs). This paper explores the genres’ mutual derivation and overlapping depictions of incidents from the pushful and derisory poetics of Attic (and Lakonic) manhood. Published in Emily Baragwanath and Edith Foster, ed., Clio and Thalia. Attic Comedy and Historiography (HISTOS Supplement 6), p. 31-66.