It was a mixture of fantasy, political and personal satire, farce, obscenity, and, in the case of Aristophanes at least, delightful lyric poetry. Old Comedy was a form of drama that has no parallel in subsequent European literature. MAJOR WORKS: The Acharnians (425 bce) Peace (421 bce) The Birds (414 bce) Lysistrata (411 bce) The Frogs (405 bce) OverviewĪristophanes was the greatest writer of Old Comedy in Athens in the fifth century bce and the only playwright from that era with any complete plays surviving.
