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Presentation of Cleon and demagoguery - Coggle Diagram
Presentation of Cleon and demagoguery
In the plays
Acharnians
politicians are 'toad-eaters' and 'traitors' who sell the people 'for gain'
'never will you find me a political poltroon, a prostitute to the highest bidder'
in the parabasis, so the voice of the playwright, who claims he will never be like a prostitute, selling himself and his dignity, just like Cleon
'Convinced by this man's speech, the folk have changed their view'
shows that rhetoric is essential and effective in athenian politics
Wasps
the jurors stay 'busy gaping at the paymaster'
Cleon as master of the lawcourts, pays the juror a 'pittance'
‘Cleon, our great protector’
Knights
the Paphlagonian has ‘his hands in the public purse’
the Paphlagonian is ‘taking bribes, blackmailing people’
the sausage seller has ‘the worst birth you could think of’ - which makes him perfect for politics!
'When I had kneaded a Spartan Cake at Pylos, he ... filched it away, and served up himself what had been kneaded by me' spoken by Demosthenes
battle of Pylos was 425, and Cleon took credit for the victory against Sparta, despite Demosthenes orchestrating it mostly
'with a bag stuffed full of public bread and meat and fish'
at the end of this play, we see the alleged 'transformation' of Demos, the master. However, he still gives in to sexual pleasure and avarice, propelled by the sausage-seller
the sausage-seller merely replaces Cleon and continues his flattery - shows that Aristophanes recognises that Cleon was not singularly bad
Historical facts of Cleon vs. Pericles
Pericles died in 429BC of the plague
Cleon became general for the first time in 424/3BC
we know that they interacted politically at the latter end of Pericles' life and career, but Thucydides artistically delays his introduction of Cleon in order to create a dichotomy between old and new politician
Cleon is known for his dramatic rhetoric techniques
apparently the first 'to gird up his cloak before making a public speech' according Ath Con
but Thucydides details how Pericles was able to effectively convince the Athenian population, by putting the people 'into a fear', after they expressed anger at his defensive strategy
therefore, both use rhetoric to convince the population
Aristophanes says that the Athenians are 'extorted by threats and intimidation' by Cleon, in Wasps
law courts
Cleon pays the juror a 'pittance' according to Wasps
Cleon's overseeing of the lawcourts is an 'overpaid executive post'
however, it was Pericles that instituted jury pay which later triggered 'organised bribery of the juries', Ath Con
this was in order to gain sway with the masses as a populist policy, as a counter-measure against Cimon's wealth
it was also Pericles that emphasised the Athenian navy to 'embolden the multitude' Ath Con
this shows that Pericles too was a panderer to the masses, as well as the earlier Ephialtes who had 'taken the demos into partnership' (herodotus)
upbringing and background
cleon has something close to 'the worst birth you could think of' Knights
Pericles was an Alcmaeonid, with wealth to enjoy leisure and an education
Cleon was the son of Kleainetos who owned a workshop of slave tanners , and he was his father's only known son
social idea that a lower class is more susceptible to bribery and corruption
HOWEVER, Cleon's father had in fact been a choregos, an honour just for the wealthiest men, so he was not 'new money'
also, Cleon's son was later choregos himself, suggesting a sustained wealth, even through the PP war
moreover, the Ath Con informs us that Pericles struggled to financially compete with his political rival Cimon, who could leave his farms unfenced to allow his deme-men to eat
so the distinction between Cleon and Pericles in terms of upbringing is bridged, and thus more marginal
Historical facts, on generals
general (strategos) was only high office NOT selected by lot
there were 10 a year, with no limit on re-election
most significant personal power in Athens
Thucydides' portrayal of Pericles makes it seem as if he is the only general at the time, he had accrued much personal power and authority
Thucydides calls Pericles the 'first citizen' of Athens
Aristophanes says that the generals are elected 'to rule over' the Athenians (Wasps)
Why?
lawsuit
aristophanes had faced a charge from Cleon due to his Babylonians, when he was brought before the senate whilst Cleon 'uttered endless slanders' against him. (Acharnians)
obviously exaggerated, but manifested in later plays such as Knights
this lawsuit may never have even happened
comedy
Aristophanes just needed to use a contemporary and familiar politician as a comic scapegoat
this explains why even Pericles was criticised, despite being generally more popular
Thucydides
Thucydides had failed militarily at Amphipolis and was later exiled on Cleon’s recommendation
Presentation of other politicians in comedy
Pericles
In a comedy by Hermippus, probably with the title Fates (430 BCE), the speaking character mocks Pericles as a King of satyrs who only offers bold speeches about war, but is unwilling to take a spear in his hand (fr. 47 K-A)
so Pericles is criticised for his supposed cowardice
in a play by Cratinus, called Dionysalexandros (430), Pericles is made fun of through innuendo for having brought the war on the Athenians
Aristophanes also blames the PP war on Pericles, in the Acharnians, due to the Megarian decree, which left the inhabitants 'slowly starving'
frequently made fun of for the abnormal shape of his head - 'his head was rather long and out of due proportion' Plutarch, Lives
Hyperbolus
Hyperbolus, who figured prominently in plays by Eupolis (Marikas), Hermippus (Bread-sellers) and Plato (Hyperbolus), all within two or three years (421–18)
Aristophanes' Clouds
Clouds in 423, the main target was Socrates; several politicians are mentioned, but Cleon figures only in one passage
Teisamenus
also in the last years of the war Theopompus produced a play about a minor politician named Teisamenus
the sausage-seller
merely a replacement for Cleon, shows that Ari does not think Cleon is singularly bad
dog-trial in wasps
The first trial: a dog of the house, named Labes (“Snatcher”), has stolen from the pantry and eaten up a loaf of Sicilian cheese
symbol of aristocratic general, Laches, accused of embezzlement or misuse of funds during his expedition to Sicily, hence stealing 'sicilian cheese'
Bdelycleon suggests they stage domestic trials to satiate Bdelycleon's addiction, which he accepts
Another dog, Kyon of Cydathenaeum, presents the accusation
Kyon is Cleon, who must have been the main instigator against Laches
Cleon is often compared to a hound, in
Peace
he is presented as Cerberus, and Plato Comicus also referred to him as 'Cerberus' in an unknown play
possible that Cleon presented himself as a 'watch-dog' or 'guard-dog' of the polis or demos, and political rivals and Aristophanes inverted this comically
Cleon has a loud 'barking' voice, and wags his tail when flattering the people
so undermines Cleon, but also the rhetorical techniques and language he chooses to employ
In his accusation, Kyon admits that the motive of his complaint is not the theft of the cheese: he is mostly annoyed because Labes ate the cheese alone and gave no share to Kyon
It is thus insinuated that Cleon does not care about the welfare of the polis but only about his personal profit
Bdelycleon recognises the difference between the dogs: Labes 'slaves away tirelessly' whilst Kyon 'stays at home' - suggests Cleon is a coward and expects reward from no work