How does The Acharnians criticize the Peloponnesian War?

In his earliest extant comedy, The Acharnians (425 BCE), Aristophanes presents a forthright critique of the Peloponnesian War by highlighting the absurdity and suffering caused by the conflict.1

The play centers on a farmer named Dicaeopolis who, exhausted by the war, secures a private peace treaty with the Spartans for himself and his family. This act serves as a satirical device to contrast the harsh realities of war with the benefits of peace:1
* Opposition to Belligerence: Dicaeopolis faces violent resistance from a chorus of embittered charcoal burners from Acharnae who support the war effort.1
* Economic Satire: By utilizing his private treaty, the protagonist engages in trade with Spartan allies, mocking the rigid hostilities of the state.1
* The Contrast of Outcomes: The play concludes with the Athenian commander Lamachus wounded and dejected, while Dicaeopolis celebrates the simple, prosperous pleasures of food, wine, and peace.1

Through this narrative, Aristophanes expresses his opposition to the bellicose statesmen who dominated Athenian politics during the war.2