Complex Numbers

Origins of Comedy

At one point -- I can't find it now; I think it was in a newsletter -- I discussed the world's oldest surviving joke, which as I recall came from ancient Sumeria.

Most 'Modern' Humor Dates Back To A 1,800-Year-Old Book  

The Sumerian one isn't funny to modern ears (besides, it was a fart joke, which I am above), but let's see what Cracked has to say about "modern" humor.

Where does comedy come from? Up until now, the closest thing we had to an answer was: “A childhood sad just enough to make you use humor as a defense mechanism instead of going to therapy, but not so sad that you decide to become a poet.”

I am attacked.

So, yeah, there is this book titled Philogelos, which is Greek for “laughter-lover,” or “chuckle-schmuck” if you will. It’s a collection of 265 jokes   composed by Hierocles and Philagrius, of whom we know exactly two things: 1) jack and 2) squat.

It's just as likely, I think, that Hierocles and Philagrius were pseudonyms; sometimes it's important to hide your real identity when making jokes, lest the butts of said jokes come find you and fart in your face.

It’s actually kind of reassuring that your misogynistic uncle’s “jokes” about your aunt would solicit as many groans in Ancient Greece as they do today, mainly because everyone back then had already heard it all.

I had to look it up, but yeah, 1800 years ago was still technically Ancient Greece.

Anyway, I could repost examples of the jokes here, but you can go to the original Cracked link or the one to the source material a few paragraphs ago. I don't feel like trying to be funny right now.

Just keep one thing in mind: the best humor relies on puns (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it). And the hardest thing to translate into another language is a pun. There are obviously workarounds, but when people say something is lost in translation, it's usually because the pun only works in the original language. Anyway, I did note that some of the jokes at the source link would have been, presumably, absolutely hilarious puns in 3rd century Greece, but are quizzical-eyebrow-raisers in 21st century Anglophone countries.

In any case, none of these are exactly side-splitters, because in the end, comedy requires cultural context and is usually time-sensitive, but they do provide insight into the origins of jokes. Just don't try to tell them at your next open mic night.