The Project Gutenberg EBook of Peace, by Aristophanes

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Title: Peace

Author: Aristophanes

Posting Date: December 29, 2008 [EBook #2571]
Release Date: April, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PEACE ***

Produced by Derek Davis

PEACE

By Aristophanes

Original Transcriber's Note:
Translator uncredited. Footnotes have been retained because they
provide the meanings of Greek names, terms and ceremonies and explain
puns and references otherwise lost in translation. Occasional Greek
words in the footnotes have not been included. Footnote numbers,
in brackets, start anew at (1) for each piece of dialogue, and each
footnote follows immediately the dialogue to which it refers, labeled
thus: f(1).

INTRODUCTION

The 'Peace' was brought out four years after 'The Acharnians' (422
B.C.), when the War had already lasted ten years. The leading motive is
the same as in the former play--the intense desire of the less excitable
and more moderate-minded citizens for relief from the miseries of war.

Trygaeus, a rustic patriot, finding no help in men, resolves to ascend
to heaven to expostulate personally with Zeus for allowing this wretched
state of things to continue. With this object he has fed and trained a
gigantic dung-beetle, which he mounts, and is carried, like Bellerophon
on Pegasus, on an aerial journey. Eventually he reaches Olympus, only to
find that the gods have gone elsewhere, and that the heavenly abode is
occupied solely by the demon of War, who is busy pounding up the Greek
States in a huge mortar. However, his benevolent purpose is not in vain;
for learning from Hermes that the goddess Peace has been cast into a
pit, where she is kept a fast prisoner, he calls upon the different
peoples of Hellas to make a united effort and rescue her, and with their
help drags her out and brings her back in triumph to earth. The play
concludes with the restoration of the goddess to her ancient honours,
the festivities of the rustic population and the nuptials of Trygaeus
with Opora (Harvest), handmaiden of Peace, represented as a pretty
courtesan.

Such references as there a