The Road to Menander: a Study of Political, Literary and Social Influences on his Plays

Abstract

Our studies of Menander are always hampered by the fragmentary nature of his remaining plays. Nonetheless he is a fascinating figure, especially when studied in his historical context. This thesis looks at the main factors which appear to have influenced him as a playwright. The first of these factors is politics. It is shown how the political developments of the fifth century underlie the changes that took place in Old Comedy, which in turn allowed for the emergence of a different type of comedy. Menander's relative political silence can seemingly be attributed to the political atmosphere in Athens at the end of the fourth-century. In particular it can be plausibly argued that his pro-elite or even pro-Macedonian political persuasion is significant here. The second factor is the literary tradition. Formative for Menander's comedy are aspects of the plays of Aristophanes and especially Euripides, including the role of the chorus, the recognition scene, and the move towards realism. Middle comedy too, being Menander's most immediate antecedent, is also significant. It is argued, however, that Menander's use of the stock characters and masks found in Middle Comedy is innovative, and that he manipulates them to suit his own style. The third and final factor is the influence of aspects of the fourth-century Athens in which Menander lived. A consideration of external sources for selected phenomena which feature in Menander's plays appears to show that he incorporates many aspects of contemporary Athens into his plays. It is further argued that, when used with circumspection, Menander is likely to prove to be a valuable source of information for certain aspects of Attic life for which we have little other corroborating evidence.