Aristophanes was an ancient Greek writer. He wrote the play The Clouds, which portrayed Socrates as a fool. Socrates became a laughingstock after this. (COMIC: The Chains of Olympus)
The Fourth Doctor and Leela met Aristophanes at a gathering at Anaximander's home. The Doctor introduced Leela as his wife from Sparta. When Leela claimed that she did not understand Aristophanes' play, he was pleased, saying, "The day Spartans start getting my stuff is the day I'll hang up my stylus". (PROSE: The Brain of Socrates)
The Doctor saved two plays by Aristophanes from the burning of the Library of Alexandria. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Apocalypse)
The First Doctor encountered Aristophanes and Eratosthenes arguing in a library in Egypt in the fourth century BC. (PROSE: The Book of Shadows)