BOSTON UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Dissertation by JON-DAVID HAGUE B.A., Luther College, 1991 M.A., Boston University, 1994 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1997

Interpretations of Aristophanes' Birds have paid little attention to the significance of the five deities who appear on stage in the second half of the play. This work seeks to fill that gap. By studying the dramatic, literary, and historical context of each of the three scenes in which these gods appear, I suggest that Aristophanes' caricatured presentation of the gods aims to contrast Athens with Nephelokokkygia, famously translated into English as Cloudcuckooland, and in this contrast lies the thematic drive of the play. The main elements that make this contrast stand out to the audience are 1) the establishment of Peisetairos' power (the Iris scene), 2) the emphasis on aspects of the new bird city that allude to Hesiod's golden age (Prometheus scene), and 3) the emphasis on the city's religious and political strength (Embassy scene).

Iris' appearance is a travesty of her actions and words in contrast to how she is represented in Homer, Hesiod, and Euripides. The Iris scene also parodies the character of Iris as she is typically portrayed in satyric drama. Ultimately, her intrusive entrance and foolish characterization are the catalyst that ignites Peisetairos' sexual potency and that sexual potency is what begins to establish his power over the Olympians.

Prometheus' presence plays on the audience's familiarity with contemporary sophistic models of progress and the Hesiodic golden age. In the play, Prometheus' Hesiodic presentation represents humankind's fall from a blissful life in harmony with nature and the gods, which Peisetairos restores in his new bird city.

The presentation of Poseidon, the Triballian god, and Herakles suggests the superiority over Athens of both the birds as gods and Peisetairos' rule in his new city. This divine trio is portrayed as the sort of diplomatic embassy familiar to the audience. Poseidon, presented as if he were an Athenian aristocrat, is struggling with 'democracy' (mass rule) among the Olympians in much the same style as his human counterparts in Athens. The Triballian god, compared to a recently elected Athenian general, is presented as if he were an up-start, inept politician, much like the actual demagogic leaders criticized in the play. Herakles, unable to make proper decisions because of his personal desire for food, serves to frustrate Poseidon's diplomatic effort thus affording Peisetairos his final verbal triumph and ouster of the Olympians.