Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/435

LITERATURE OF ANCIENT GREECE. 413 history of comedy by the appearance of the Knights of Aristophanes. It was the first piece which Aristophanes brought out in his own name, and he was induced by peculiar circumstances to appear in it as an actor himself. This piece is entirely directed against Cleon ; not, like the Babylonians, and at a later period the Wasps, against certain measures of his policy, but against his entire proceedings and influence as a demagogue. There is a certain degree of spirit in attacking, even under the protection of Bacchic revelry, a popular leader who was mighty by the very principle of his policy, viz. of advancing the material interests and immediate advantage of the great mass of the people at the sacrifice of every thing else ; and who had become still more formidable by the system of terrorism with which he carried out his views. This system consisted in throwing all the citizens opposed to him under the suspicion of being concealed aristocrats ; in the indictments which he brought against his enemies, and which his influence with the law courts enabled him without difficulty to turn to his own advantage : and in the terrible severity with which he urged the Athenians in the public assembly and in the courts to put down all movements hostile to the rule of the democracy, and of which his proposal to massacre the Mitylenseans is the most striking example. Besides, at the very time when Aristophanes composed the Kniqhts, Cleon's reputation had attained its highest pitch, for fortune in her sport had realized his inconsiderate boast, that it would be an easy matter for him to capture the Spartans in Sphacteria ; the triumph of having captured these formidable warriors, for which the best generals had contended in vain, had fallen, like an over-ripe fruit, into the lap of the unmilitary Cleon (in the summer of the year 425). That it really was a bold measure to attack the powerful demagogue at this time, may also be inferred from the statement that no one would make a mask of Cleon for the poet, and still less appear in the character of Cleon, so that Aristophanes was obliged to undertake the part himself. The Knights is by far the most violent and angry production of the Aristophanic Muse ; that which has most of the bitterness of Archi- lochus, and least of the harmless humour and riotous merriment of the Dionysia. In this instance comedy almost transgresses its proper limits ; it is almost converted into an arena for political champions fighting for life and death ; the most violent party animosity is combined with some obvious traces of personal irritation, which is justified by the judicial persecution of the author of the Babylonians. The piece, pre- sents a remarkable contrast to the Acharnians ; just as if the poet wanted to show that a checkered variety of burlesque scenes was not necessary to his comedy, and that he could produce the most powerful effect by the simplest means; and doubtless, to an audience perfectly familiar with all the hints and allusions of the comedian, the Knights must have