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What is the plot of Peace by Aristophanes?
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Aristophanes
Aristophanes, portrait bust, c. 4thâ1st century bce; in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
In the comedy Peace, written by the Greek dramatist Aristophanes and performed in 421 BCE, the plot follows a war-weary farmer named Trygaeus. Seeking to end the Peloponnesian War, Trygaeus flies to heaven on a giant dung beetle to locate the goddess Peace.12
Upon arriving, he discovers that the God of War has imprisoned the goddess by burying her in a deep pit. With the assistance of a chorus of farmers, Trygaeus successfully rescues her. The play concludes with a festive celebration centered on themes of marriage and fertility.12
Staged shortly before the ratification of the Peace of Nicias, the work reflects the contemporary desire for an end to the hostilities between Athens and Sparta.12