Peace

"Peace" by Aristophanes is a comedic play written during the early 5th century BC, amidst the backdrop of the prolonged Peloponnesian War. The narrative follows Trygaeus, a rustic hero who, disillusioned by the devastation of war, embarks on a comical quest to rescue the goddess Peace from the clutches of War himself. The play highlights the desperate desire for peace among the ordinary citizens of Greece and the profound impact that ongoing conflict has had on their lives. The beginning of "Peace" introduces Trygaeus, who is determined to confront Zeus about the ongoing war. His eccentric method involves flying to Olympus on a giant dung-beetle he has trained. Upon reaching the heavens, he learns that the gods have abandoned their abode due to the strife among mortals, leaving only War, who is intent on further destruction. Through humorous exchanges with servants and other characters, the opening lays the groundwork for a theatrical adventure that combines absurdity with sharp political commentary. The unfolding story promises a struggle to bring the goddess Peace back to humanity, suggesting themes of unity and the folly of war. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Aristophanes was an Ancient Greek comic playwright from Athens and a poet of Old Attic Comedy. He wrote in total forty plays, of which eleven survive virtually complete today. These provide the most valuable examples of a genre of comic drama known as Old Comedy and are used to define it, along with fragments from dozens of lost plays by Aristophanes and his contemporaries.