Lysistrata Allusions

Literary and Philosophical References

• Aeschylus, Seven Against Thebes (187-189)
• Euripides (283, 368-369), Andromache (155-156)
• Homer, Iliad (520)
• Aesop, Fable 3 (695)

Historical References

• King Cleomenes of Sparta's occupation of the Acropolis (273/4-280)
• The Battle of Marathon (285)
• The Athenian fleet at Samos (313)
• The Spartan-Athenian Peace Treaty of 421, and later modifications to it (513-514)
• The expulsion of Hippias, the Athenian tyrant (618/9, 665, 1149-1156)
• Harmodius and Aristogiton (633)
• Artemisia, Queen of Halicarnassus (675)
• The earthquake of 464 BCE and Messenian Revolt (1138-1146)
• Destruction of the Athenian herms (1074)
• The Battle of Artemisium (1251-1253)
• The Battle of Thermopylae, a.k.a. the last stand of the Spartan 300 (1254-1261)

Pop Culture References

(The pop culture references in Lysistrata refer to the pop culture of 5th-century BCE Athens.)

• Eels from Boeotia, a popular delicacy (35-36)
• Milesian dildos, a hot commodity in Athens (108-110)
• Lycon's notorious wife (270)
• Bupalus the crummy sculptor (361)
• Worship of Sabazios and Adonis, popular among women and slaves (387-398)
• Timon of Athens, the misanthrope (808/9)
• Nasty perfume from Rhodes (944)
• Philostratus, a.k.a. "Fox Dog" (Kunalopex), famous Athenian pimp (957)