Aristophanes was a playwright in ancient Greek best known as a writer of comedies. While most of his plays have been lost or partially destroyed, eleven of them survive almost intact to this day. Much respected as a playwright, he was also known as The Father of Comedy and The Prince of Ancient Comedy. Not much is known about him; whatever is known about him is known only through his own works. What is known is that he was an Athenian citizen hailing from a clan named Pandionis. He began his career as a playwright probably around 427 BCE. Society and politics are recurring themes in his plays and it is believed he generally wrote for an educated and mature audience. He was known for his witty dialogues, parodies, and imaginative fantasies. He was a regular participant in competitions and the recipient of numerous awards, including the first prize at the City Dionysia for his second play, The Babylonians. Many of his plays were directed by Callistratus and Philoneides. Aristophanes wasn’t directly involved in politics despite writing highly political plays. Like many other playwrights of his time, he was also a teacher with numerous pupils under his tutelage.