Corruption and militarism are the primary problems addressed by Aristophanes in his criticism of Greek democracy. The Acharnians was produced in the late fifth-century city-state of Athens and it explores the various weaknesses of democracy as a form of government. Through satire, Aristophanes expresses his disdain for the Greek military's attitude towards war. He also criticizes what he views as the petty concerns and actions of the country's democratic politicians and thinkers, including an often scathing parody of Greek political drama and the work of Euripides.
Militarism
The Acharnians is set during the Peloponnesian War during the sixth year of conflict between Athens and Sparta. The Athenian military faces pressure to escalate the conflict for revenge against Sparta, while Dicaeopolis wishes to negotiate peace for his family alone. Throughout the play, Dicaepolis must use his wit to thwart his militaristic opponents. Democracy is presented as a vehicle for militarism and it allows many of the Athenian politicians to rally supporters under the guise of cooperation. The arrogant soldier Lamachus is held up as an example of the militaristic attitude that Greek democracy often produced, although his real-life counterpart was quite different.
Corruption
Throughout the play, corrupt leaders such as Cleon use democracy for their own selfish ends. While Aristophanes clearly praises the free speech provided by democracy when it is used to speak against the war with Sparta, he also criticizes it as a form of government that is easily exploited. His satire of Euripides' work implies that the playwright's idea of democracy was the product of naive idealism. Aristophanes illustrates this criticism through the behavior of the democratic officials in his play who fall far short of the relatively moderate and equitable form of democracy Euripides envisioned. Corrupt officials use the values of democracy to elevate themselves above the populace, creating a clear imbalance of power in Greece. Despite these criticisms, Aristophanes does not express favor towards any one form of government over democracy. Rather, through the commentary laced throughout The Acharnians, he seeks to highlight democracy's weaknesses for both satirical and instructional purposes.
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