Aristophanes was an Athenian comic playwright who lived during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. His life spanned the turbulent period of the Peloponnesian War and its aftermath. He began his career young, producing his first play in 427 BCE, and remained active for about forty years. While details of his personal life are sparse, it is known he was once prosecuted for the political content of one of his early works.

He is the only playwright from whom complete works of Old Comedy survive. Of the roughly 40 plays he wrote, 11 have been preserved. These include famous comedies like The Clouds, which satirizes the philosopher Socrates; Lysistrata, where women organize a sex strike to end war; and The Frogs, a critique of Athenian tragedy. His plays are characterized by fantastical plots, bold political and personal satire, and direct engagement with contemporary Athenian society.

Aristophanes’ significance is twofold. First, his comedies are invaluable historical sources, offering a vivid, if exaggerated, window into the social life, political debates, and intellectual climate of classical Athens. Second, his work had a profound influence on the entire Western comic tradition. While later Greek comedy shifted towards domestic stories, Aristophanes’ mastery of language, inventive plots, and sharp satire set a lasting benchmark. His plays continue to be read, translated, and performed today.