The number of speaking actors in old comedy

The number of speaking actors in Old Comedy has been much discussed, but no consensus has been reached. This chapter examines briefly the passages of Aristophanes which may have something to tell people about the number of actors, taking the plays in chronological order. If the authors leave aside Akharnians, it appears that every extant play of Aristophanes certainly or probably needs four speaking actors, but none needs more than four. In six plays (Clouds, Birds, Lys., Thesm., Frogs, Ekkl.) there is some indication that Aristophanes is manipulating the action or dialogue to avoid using a fifth actor, either by making one character exit before another appears or by keeping silent a character who might be expected to speak. This evidence seems sufficient to establish that the number of speaking actors in a comedy at this period was fixed at four by the rules of the contest.