Would Aristophanes have been a Democrat or a Republican?

Question

And, of course, outline your reasoning.

Answer 1

Probably a republican, but an old-line republican

Answer 2

Aristophenes would have been neither. If I read him correctly, he is anti-intellectualist and elitist, and although he's conservative, I would suggest he is too conservative for most mainstream Republicans and he certainly would have issues with the Libertarian element in the Republican party. He hated philosophy because he felt it was a direct challange to the authority of gods, which of course is also a challange on the heirarchies of man, so he would probably be in favor of a very authoritarian, perhaps dictatorial regime (therefore anti-libertarian), so long as is kept the status quo constant. Republicans simply aren't that extreme. Further, despite his desire to maintain the status quo overall, he might be consistent with stalinist conceptions of communism, at least as a top-down approach to reform, so it's unclear who he'd favor in the end.

Answer 3

Aristophanes would probably be a member of a Greek political party, being Greek and all.

Answer 4

I can't imagine that he'd have been a member of any political party, at least not insofar as he'd be binding himself to any pre-defined system of values or policies.

It strikes me that his only consistent established belief was an Anti-B.S. platform, and he'd vigorously attack anyone who deserved it: politicians especially, but even his fellow playwrights were fair game.