Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Traill, Ariana
Department of Study
Classics
Discipline
Classics
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Aristophanes
Oracles
Ancient Comedy
Old Comedy
Politics
Political discourse
Manipulation
Abstract
Four out of the eleven extant Aristophanic comedies contain, or refer to, oracles (Knights, Peace, Birds, Lysistrata). This thesis aims (a) to discuss Aristophanes’ stance toward oracles and oracle-collections; (b) to comment on each oracle in these four plays in chronological order, and to reach conclusions regarding Aristophanes’ usage of them while paying close attention to their language. The conclusions reached are that oracles are depicted in a way that takes for granted their political manipulation, that their language is never self-sufficient and authoritative by itself, and that the persuasive force of an oracle depends equally on an interpretation that has to be linked to something easily recognizable by the audience.
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