Aristophanes Assemblywomen prologue and parodos (392 B.C.)

 Aristophanes depicts the women rehearsing for an Assembly meeting at which they intend to take power .

Questions
Base your answers on the prologue and parodos of Assemblywomen, quoting from the play whenever possible.

1. What kind of citizen typically filled the Assembly? Describe his appearance.         (5)

2. Where did the Assembly meet? Describe this area. How long did meetings go on? What took place at the beginning of a meeting? (5)

3. How were speakers apparently chosen? What special item did they wear? What might they include in their speeches apart from arguments in favour of their proposals? What attribute was it useful for a speaker to have -an attribute which he might claim not to have? (5)

4. How might the listeners react to a debate? What happened if that reaction became too unruly? By what method was a proposal accepted or rejected? State one task performed by the Assembly apart from the debating of proposals. (5)

5. What officials were present? Those attending were given a ticket which entitled them to receive a sum of money from one of the archons (Athens' chief officials) . How much was this, and what had they received originally? (5)