How (not) to Take Mockery Seriously: The Case of Cinesias

Can we take ancient Greek comedy seriously? An old, contentious question, but in this talk with a new angle: what exactly does this interpretive process called "taking seriously" actually mean? Following the beloved komodoumenos / dithyrambic poet Cinesias (and his appearances in Aristophanes and the comic fragments), I will ask how, in Greek terms, Cinesias would have been able not to "take" comic mockery "seriously," and offer a new picture of this peculiar hermeneutic habit. Presented by The Study Group On Religion and Myth in the Ancient World. Sponsored by the BU Center for the Humanities and the Department of Classical Studies.