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Which religious festivals hosted the comedies of Aristophanes?
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Aristophanes
Aristophanes, portrait bust, c. 4thâ1st century bce; in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
The comedies of Aristophanes, a prominent writer of Old Comedy, were performed at two major Athenian festivals held in honor of the god Dionysus:
- The Great Dionysia (or City Dionysia): This was the principal dramatic festival, held in the spring (March), where comedy was introduced as a competitive category in 486 BCE.12
- The Lenaea: This was a minor winter festival held in January. Comedy was introduced to the Lenaea in 440 BCE.2
While the Great Dionysia was a major venue for his workâsuch as his play BabyloniansâAristophanes and other comic poets competed for prizes at both of these official religious celebrations.23