Middle Comedy and the “Satyric” Style

The evolution of comedy from Aristophanes to Menander has intrigued scholars since antiquity. A number of factors contributed to comedy’s development during the fourth century, but a major influence that has not been appreciated is fifth-century satyr drama. Analysis of fragments and ancient literary commentaries reveals that various characteristic elements of Middle Comedy (e.g., mythological burlesque, domestic and erotic themes, a generally depoliticized humor, riddles, stock characters, and a playful style of humor) can be found in earlier satyr play. Comic poets of this period looked to their satyric predecessors and transformed comedy into a more “satyric” genre. Aristotle even implicitly makes this connection, employing similar language to describe these genres and time periods.