How do you translate comedy that is more than 25 centuries old? With ease apparently, Lysistrata, first performed way back in 411 BC is just as funny now as it must have been for the ancient Greeks! It was while holidaying in the Peloponnese that it occurred to me to brush up on the ancient Greek classics. A good decision since it really contextualised all the history I was literally walking over every day.

The play commences in 431–404 BC with the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Almost all the men are engaged in what seems to be an interminable conflict. It is Athenian woman, Lysistrata who decides on an unusual course of action to bring the war to an end and restore peace – she calls on women from all the warring states to refuse their men sex until peace is achieved! As you can imagine, this may have been a measure welcomed by many women, but generally unpopular with the gents…

There is much debate between the women leading this movement and the men in power, and the dialogue is very witty and funny as justifications for and arguments against are bantered back and forth. Aristophanes is known primarily as a comedian and the play is certainly amusing, though the underlying message is quite sombre: there are very few solutions to war. In reality the Peloponnesian War has been raging for twenty years by the time the play was first staged, and it still wasn’t over. The powerhouse that had been Athens was effectively reduced to a pile of rubble and Sparta emerged as the new seat of power. Albeit at a massive cost to life. It equally raises pertinent questions about the traditional roles of women in society and highlights gender inequality - the fact that the women know that the most effective tool to curb men's behaviour is through their bodies clearly underlines that not much has changed in terms of gender bias over the centuries!

An exceptional (and timely) read for me. The ancient Greeks never cease to amaze me with their skills and knowledge in just about everything. Make sure you read a well translated copy.

This play gives women credit for trying to make the world a more peaceful place as early as 2400 years ago. Women on both sides of the Peloponnesian war unite in a sex strike. No more sex until there's peace.

This play's reputation is that of an anti-war drama. Ending war is a serious matter, thus it was my expectation this play to be a somber effort of the part of women to knock some common sense into the minds of their men. Instead it was a comedy first, and an anti-war message second. The foolishness and absurdity of war is laughed at which diminishes the attraction of war, but the comic treatment is too slapstick for my tastes.

One part of the plot that's not as famous as the sex strike is the fact that the women occupy the Athen's treasury building to deprive the government of the funds required to wage war. When an armed person is ordered to clear out the female occupiers, he is flustered and hesitates because he's not sure how to use force on women.

It's commendable that Aristophanes portrays the men of Athens as being such gentlemen that they would never use armed force on women. I have my doubts about this, and I suspect it was actually considered so absurd as to be funny by the audience.

This is comedy written 2400 years ago. Some of the jokes require footnotes to explain why it's funny (i.e. making fun of other ancient politicians and playwrights). However the humorously indecent jokes about sex need no explanations. Aristophanes' writing is so bawdy that it's embarrassing to the sensibilities of polite company today. Men walking across stage with prominent erect penises begging for sexual relief can be accepted as a comic over-the-top characterization of men's sexual appetites and their expectations of women. Unfortunately, the power of women to force men to end war by withholding sexual favors is also an unrealistic exaggeration.

If Aristophanes were alive today, I have no doubt that he would have his own late night TV talk/comedy show of his own. His monologue would probably have a lot of words bleeped out.

Que dice de mi el que una comedia griega del 411 antes de cristo sea el único libro que me hizo reírme en voz alta???

It had been quite awhile since I contemplated over any books let alone penning a critical appraisal on Goodreads. It was tough trying to get words out of the overwhelming emotional vortex; an obstinate ketchup bottle ignoring the need of a fried potato for the tangy goodness. So, when Brian suggested a group reading of Lysistrata, I was a bit apprehensive. A Greek playwright crossing the dreaded course of fallen heroic tragedies; even more remorse to my cerebral coma; not a luxurious indulgence at the moment. Lysistrata is a woman’s name; yes it is and sex is the weapon used to hem the broken olive branch.

n  “To husband or lover, I’ll not open arms. Though love and denial may enlarge his charms. But still at home, ignoring him, I’ll stay. Bountiful, clad in saffron silk all day. If then he seizes me with by dint of force, I’ll give him reason for a long remorse. I’ll never lie and stare up at the ceiling. Nor like a lion on all four go kneeling. If I keep faith then bounteous cups be mine. Do you swear to this? Then I shall immolate the victim thus.”n

Holding a pair of olive logs, a vine torch and a small pot of live embers; Lysistrata and her women folk thus embarked on an egalitarian journey within the locked Acropolis citadel; a long awaited unified cry of misplaced wisdom. Neither the pointless sexist blabber from unassailable old men who rather burn the protesters than give a patient ear nor the wailing of desperate husbands and lovers could shake the well rooted fortitude of this rebellious bunch. Peace is what they strive at the cost of their fornication. We pay taxes, manage finesse with domestic budgetary, and give birth to descendants who will render their youth to deathly absurdities in a unproductive war. Abandoned voices yearning to be heard outside the bedroom in the ubiquitous courtyards of masochism.

I’m a free woman; screams this slap-stick engaging play. Aristophanes delineated a cohesive front; an equalized gender dais debating the validity of aggressive hostilities. Wars not only annihilate countries but families too. Common sense is a rarity and idiocy the universal daily crow of a proud rooster. Underestimating the weak is the biggest blunder of an astute strategist. And, 'Groupthink' is not just a term coined by a confident Mr. Janis; harried egocentric faulty pronouncements can even corrupt sincerity. Remember the ‘Bay of Pigs’?? Nevertheless all is not lost and the inbred humor prances around like a spring rabbit. One cannot help but laugh when distressed over the abstinence issue Myrrhine’s husband Cinesias brings their child to convince to come back to a lovely home and a lonely husband. Even after pledging to bringpeace to the land, Myrrhine does not give in to the carnal needs bringing Cinesias to tear his hair out.

n  CINESIAS
A wicked thing, as I repeat.
O Zeus, O Zeus,
Canst Thou not suddenly let loose
Some twirling hurricane to tear
Her flapping up along the air
And drop her, when she's whirled around,
Here to the ground
Neatly impaled upon the stake
That's ready upright for her saken

Baudrillard was precise in inferring the power of seduction to be greater than the act itself.


"Master the kitchen, master the bedroom and so shall rule your husband". The evergreen thumb rule of triumph of one of my elderly aunt’s long-lasting marriage. In a world devoid of any sex toys or cinematic screenings, sex and food was the ultimate seduction of power. “Buy me the silver or no midnight climaxes!” You want me to clean after you; my closed legs will be your eternal marriage gift!”.... Can sex be really used as a weapon by ladies of all societal strata? Power seekers beware of the fairer sex for they have unfailing artillery!! Is the abstinence of sex capable of stopping mindless male aggression of power? Could Silvio Berlusconi minimize the impact of EU crisis if Ruby had protested the Bunga Bunga? Gaddafi would not have met with such a brutal death for being a scoundrel of a dictator. An excellent point put forth by Brian, about the Iraq War; wonders if the search of the indiscernible WMDs would have stopped if Mrs.Bush along with Mrs. Blair transpired Lysistrata proposal at the White House. The new democratic gesticulation could discipline the wildest of men, Napoleon would have been the best candidate; as the saying goes small men huge “ego”. Aristophanes is undoubtedly a visionary for banishing the discrepancies of gender biases bequeathing the ‘weaker’ sex with a new leash of power and control. No more will the patriarchal societies characterize gender roles and women no longer will be pretty bodies sitting on a vagina. Lysistrata’s protest was not designated to demoralize the validity of manhood, but an outright memo of the rarity of common sense and advocacy of peace over a senseless war fought for decades. The weak can be strong when they stand up for their rights and cannot be easily dismissed by mere ignorance. Not only wars, but numerous crimes against can be stopped with the ongoing strategy. The only fear looms is of how long it will be until the newly acquired democratic forum spits an authoritative fire. But, that is yet a farsighted destination and as of now, peace was ultimately restored and the Greeks merrily celebrated with abundance wine and sex. Wasn't that (sex) the ultimate catch after all?

n  LYSISTRATA
Earth is delighted now; peace is the voice of earth.
Spartans, sort out your wives: Athenians, yours.
Let each catch hands with his wife and dance his joy,
Dance out his thanks, be grateful in music,
And promise reformation with his heels.n


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Absolutely hysterical. I loved this play.

This was hilarious. Greek comedy where all the women get together to end war. How? by withholding sex and controlling the money (war fund). Some laugh out loud moments but also some serious messages.

Аристофан, древнегреческий комедиограф, написал замечательную пацифистскую пьесу, главными героинями которой являются женщины. Удивительно, что в V веке до нашей эры, сознание достигло того, чтобы говорить о правах женщины, может и не о всех, но хотя бы о домашней работе целиком возложенной на плечи женщины: «Из дома трудно выйти женщине. Одна, о муже хлопоча, забегалась, Той слуг не добудиться, эта – нянчится с ребенком, та – стирает, у другой квашня». Дело происходит во время Пелопонесской войны, истощающей Афины и Спарту в бессмысленной войне. Лисистрата, главная героиня, выражает гражданскую позицию: «Но долг свой предпочесть они должны Всему» «Эллады всей спасенье ныне – в женщинах!» «Когда ж всех стран соединятся женщины: Коринфянки, спартанки, беотиянки И мы,-- так вместе мы поможем эллинам.» Она призвала всех женщин со всех воюющих сторон. Лисистрата убеждает женщин воздержаться, объявить что-то вроде сексуальной забастовки, не заниматься сексом с супругами до их отказа от ведения войны. Поначалу женщины бурно выражают свое несогласие. Поддержка Лампито, женщины из противоборствующей стороны, помогает достичь согласия. Все дают клятву. Афинянки захватывают Акрополь с целью не дать пользоваться казной для войны. Лисистрата объясняет: «Для того, чтобы золотом вашим владеть и чтоб вы воевать перестали. На вопрос Советника: «Так думаешь ты, золото – корень войны?» героиня отвечает: «И войны, и раздоров, и смуты. Для того, чтобы мог наживаться Писандр и другие правители ваши». Она отрицает, что они хотят насилия: «Не насилья – спасенья». Их акция встречает рьяное сопротивление воинственно настроенных стариков, вооружившихся хворостом и огнем. Доходит до пожара и рукоприкладства, но женщины дают отпор – обливают стариков водой, как могут сопротивляются стражникам-скифам, кусают, царапают и… побеждают. Когда с войны приходят их мужья они остаются верны своей клятве – ухаживают за мужчинами, выказывают заботу, но воздерживаются от любви, доводя их до исступления и принятия их условия не воевать. Дело заканчивается миром и любовью!
В пьесе содержится гениальная идея о женском начале, лежащем в основе гуманизма, противления войне, ее неприятия. Женщины активно выражают свой протест, они могут организоваться, они могут встать выше распрей, ведущих к войне, и смотреть на мир с позиций мира, возвращения своих мужей с полей сражений к семейному очагу. Нет нужды упоминать, как эта пьеса современно звучит и сегодня

Bit of a lower rating because plays really are meant to be seen and performed, not read, but otherwise this was still quite a good read ! and damn funny too.
I recommend listening to the Lysistrata episode on the podcast Let’s Talk about Myths, Baby! to accompany this reading, it definitely helped me understand and get more out of the play than if i had just gone in with no context.

This play from ancient Greece still is an amusing look at male-female relations & has some slyly witty pokes at the causes of war. In the play, Athens is at war with Sparta. Lysistrata convinces women from both city-states that together they can bring peace by denying the men sex until the men agree to a peace treaty! And of course, it doesn't hurt that the women also seize control over the war treasury.

In his typical comical and sardonic style, Aristophanes tells the story of the Greek women, from both sides of the Peloponnesian war, who come together and decide to force the men of Greece to end the war. They do this by refusing sex, house work and occupying the acropolis until the men get so desperate they give in and agree to peace.

I get a perverse kick out of the fact that I can share a hearty laugh about someone's genitals with someone a thousand years ago. The fact that both myself and a stadium full of men in ancient Greece were laughing about the same things has an unnatural appeal to me. Almost enough to forget the fact that we were undoubtedly laughing for very different reasons.

It's interesting to see how audiences now react to this play in contrast to how it was originally meant to be viewed. In the twenty first century Lysistrata has been elevated to the point of feminist masterpiece and yet during its time it was written to show that the war was so insensible that even a woman knew it. Ow. Well, no matter, chauvinistic punch line at the end or not that does very little to diminish the fact that this is one hell of a funny play. And there's a timeless quality to it too - time and time again I found myself laughing and thinking that any one of these little melodramas could have happened any where in practically any time. There's a part early on in the play where one of the characters is dissatisfied at pacing up and down the square waiting for her fellow conspirators to arrive. If only this had to do with a sale on shoes or shopping she laments then they would have been here at the crack of dawn! But tell them it has political tones to it and they're all an hour late. Oh, have truer words ever rung down about the state of politics and modern man from any age? There's an odd comfort in knowing that in hundreds of years of human folly the state of politics hasn't changed much.

An absolute must read, not only for those stuffy literary types but for anyone looking for a good read, and dare I say it, a genuine laugh.

How old is the idea of women withholding sex from men to get what they want? Well, apparently as far back as 405 BC, because that's what happens in this hilarious (and bawdy) Greek comedy. In this play it was "en masse"' with the singular purpose of bringing peace between the warring Athenians and Spartans. Did it work? Well, what do you think?