Triphales
Triphales is a play by Aristophanes that barely survived, which is unusual because it was written by what was considered to be the greatest comic playwright of the period. There are references to the play but no substantial fragments from which to truly read the play. However, what is known about the play suggests that the humor within it would still resonate today.
Triphales is known as a mythological burlesque play in that it was risqué and featured a plot that was not grounded in reality. The point of a mythological burlesque was to parody a specific figure from mythology or lampoon the over-the-top stories that were often found in mythology. In that way, the play of Triphales, which tells the story of a man with three penises, fits perfectly into that category.
The story is written as a large, dramatic, and sweeping epic tale, but the actual plot of the story is not big or epic at all. It is similar to a big-budget blockbuster being made about the silly story of a man with three penises. The story lends itself for a low budget comedy and not a Titanic sized epic with huge scenes and substantial special effects, but it was written as the latter.
It is not clear why this play did not survive, though it likely did not resonate with audiences on a deeper level in the way that many of the other comedies of Aristophanes did. While this play would have been entertaining and likely got big laughs, there was little satire or social commentary that would make the play stand out.
Sources For Further Reading:
Greek Reporter – The Best Ancient Greece Comedies Still Funny Today
Aristophanes – The Revolt of The Women, A Free Tr. By B.B. Rogers
BBC UK – The History of Sex Strikes
The Washington Post – Sex Strikes Have Always Been About Patriarchal Power, Not Women’s Rights
The Hairpin – Sex Tips from Lysistrata
Aristophanes – The Frogs of Aristophanes
Greek Mythology – The Clouds by Aristophanes
Titus Maccius Plautus – Menaechmei
Titus Maccius Plautus, Wilhelm Wagner – Menaechmei
Greek Mythology – The Birds by Aristophanes
The Atre Database – The Knights
Aristophanes – Aristophanous Thesmophoriazousai
Conde Fashion – The Best Ancient Greece Comedies Still Funny Today