Source edition
Aristophanes. Aristophanis Comoediae, Vol. 2. Hall, F. W. and Geldart, William M., editors. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This ancient Greek comedy depicts Greek women rising up to end the long-running war. The protagonist, an Athenian woman named Lysistrata, convenes women from various city-states to propose a "sex strike" and a sacred oath, subsequently occupying the Acropolis with the elder women. As the men attempt to expel them by force, Lysistrata logically argues for women's capability to manage the state, overwhelming the magistrate. The play humorously portrays the women's struggle with their own desires, attempts to escape, and a scene where a wife tantalizingly teases her husband. Eventually, pushed to their limits, envoys from both Sparta and Athens beg for peace. Through the mediation of the personified "Reconciliation" (Diallage), the two sides reach a peace agreement. Ultimately, the conflict between men and women is resolved, and both sides join hands to praise the gods in a celebratory dance and banquet.