As distinguished from the later genres of Middle and New Comedy, Aristophanes’ Old Comedy is highly political and interested in engaging in civic discourse. Aristophanes’ commitment to raunchy humor is equal to his commitment to tackle serious issues of his day; neither approach weakens the other.

Aristophanes was critical of Athens’ democratic system as it stood in his day. While modern audiences might balk at anti-democratic sentiment, the weaknesses of Athens’ particular brand of democracy which were on full display in the years leading up to Lysistrata. While the Athenian system is touted as the forefather of modern democracy, there were stark differences between it and modern systems of democratic governance.

“Democracy” comes from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power), literally meaning “people power.” Athens pioneered the concept of accountable government, and its citizens took great pride in civic engagement (in fact, the word “idiot” is derived from the Greek word idios, which indicated a person who took no part in public life). However, the especially radical form of democracy established in Athens—in which any adult male citizen had the right to an equal vote–also proved volatile. Power changed hands quickly and sometimes at a whim.