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The Clouds
7.5Aristophanes
Aristophanes's comedy mocking Socrates — Plato suggests in the Apology that the play's ridicule contributed to the atmosphere that produced Socrates's execution.
GBM Assessment (Score: 7.5/10)
Aristophanes' The Clouds is a brilliant satirical comedy that lampoons Socrates and the intellectual currents of fifth-century Athens. Plato himself suggests in the Apology that the play's mockery of Socrates prejudiced the Athenian public against him, contributing to the atmosphere that ultimately led to his trial and execution.
The Clouds satirized the so-called New Education and its practitioners, with Socrates as its central target. The play provides an essential counterpoint to Plato's more reverential portrait of his teacher, offering a comic perspective on the same philosophical debates that Plato treated with utmost seriousness.
The Peloponnesian War, c. 430-400 BC
The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) pits Athens against Sparta. Plague kills Pericles (429 BC). The Sicilian Expedition ends in catastrophe. Athens massacres Melos. Socrates teaches in the agora. Despite crisis, literary production remains astonishing. Athens surrenders in 404 BC. Socrates is executed in 399 BC.
Awards & Adaptations
Core for understanding Socrates' trial.
Recommended Edition
B.B. Rogers (Loeb 1924)
