Political Background

• Arginusae the sea battle fought in 406bc
• The Peloponnesian war fought between Athens and Sparta lasted from 431bc to 404bc
• Athens had to melt down gold and silver decoration from the temples on the acropolis to fund the war
• Slaves were recruited to fight at Arginusae and rewarded with citizenship
• After the defeat at Arginusae, there was a trial where the generals responsible for the loss were put on trial
• Although Athens won Arginusae it was still considered a defeat because of how many men and ships were lost
• A storm after the battle prevented the Athenians from collecting the bodies of the dead or to save the dying
• out of the 8 generals put to trial 6 were executed
• Erasinides was an Athenian general who was executed
• Cleisthenes is a rich aristocrat mocked for his passive homosexuality
• Molon was an actor renowned for his large size
• Iophon, Xenocles and Pythangelos are contemporary tragedians
• The Eleusinian mysteries were in honour of Demeter, Persephone and Dionysus and consisted of a 22km procession
• A skilled craftsman might only earn 1 drachma [6 obols] a day
• The Festival of Flowers was in honour of Dionysus and the third day of drinking was called "the Day of Pots"
• The annual Eleusinian mysteries were postponed in 413bc when sparta occupied Decelea
• Cratinus was a comic playwright known for his love of wine and beef
• Thorycion was a magistrate that imposed a new 5% tax during wartimes
• Cinesias was someone who allegedly defecated on a shrine of Hecate where food for the poor were left
• Archedemus was an outcast who is mocked
• Callias was the son of Hipponicus and was a very rich idiot
• Callias was from Melite and is described as wearing "fitted lionskin pants"
• Theramenes was a powerful politician who brought the generals to trial and changed his mind a lot and was later executed
• Archedemus was an ambitious outsider
• Cleophon was a duplicitous Thracian demagogue who refused to negotiate for peace
• Phrynichus was one of the 400 labeled an enemy of Athens who bullied people into following him
• Plataean citizenship was given to slaves who fought and the refugees from Platea, it was not a full citizenship but close
• A decree was passed in the autumn of 405bc commenting Frogs' parabasis
• Cephisophon was Euripides' wife's lover who helped him write his monodies