Wealth and happiness

This year’s International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama continues on Tuesday with a performance of Aristophanes last comedy Plutus.

The comedy, performed by the theatre group Ftochologia, is a political satire on contemporary Athens (in 408 BC that is) that concentrates on our insistence on being wealthy.

Chremylus – an elderly Athenian citizen who is swamped in debt – goes to Delphi to ask the oracle for advice and is told to follow the first man he meets and persuade him to come home with him. That man turns out to be the god Plutus — who was blinded by Zeus so he would be unable to distinguish between the just and the unjust and would randomly distribute wealth.

After some conversation, Plutus is convinced to enter Chremylus’ house, where with the help of Chremylus and his slave Carion, Plutus’ sight is restored and wealth is only given to those who deserve it.

While everybody is trying to benefit from this new situation, Poverty appears, in an effort to persuade them that wealth never brings happiness.

Plutus
Performance of the comedy by Aristophanes. July 19. Makarios III Amphitheatre, Nicosia. 9pm. €10/5. With English subtitles. Tel: 70-002414

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