THE BIRDS BY ARISTOPHANES: The Story of the Work

Two Athenian friends, the cunning Peisetaerus and the good-natured Euelpidus, wish to find the bird hoopoe (who was once a man, King Tereus) to ask him in which city one can live quietly, richly, and peacefully. In the introduction of the play, the two friends appear flying through the forest, one on a crow and the other on a water hen, declaring that they are migrating because they are tired of the lawsuits of the Athenians.

When they finally find the hoopoe, he disappoints them, as he cannot suggest any city they would like. However, Peisetaerus comes up with the idea to establish, together with the hoopoe-Tereus, the city of birds in the skies, that is, in the gap between the world of men and the world of gods. The hoopoe is convinced and calls the birds to announce Peisetaerus's plan together.

The birds appear enraged by the invasion of humans and, believing that the hoopoe has betrayed them, prepare to attack the invaders. Once again, however, Peisetaerus takes the floor and inflates the minds of the birds. In the end, he convinces them to establish Nephelokokkugia (= the residence of the cuckoos in the clouds, that is, the city of the birds) with the aim of becoming regulators of divine power, acting as intermediaries between the gods and men.

Thus, the birds are divided into working groups and begin the construction of the wall that will surround the land of the birds, preventing the smoke from human sacrifices from rising to the gods.

Before the city is even fully built, and with the priest coming first to make a sacrifice, various exploiters and well-wishers arrive, trying to benefit from the establishment of Nephelokokkugia. However, Peisetaerus gets rid of them all, and little by little, the wall is completed.

Meanwhile, the gods begin to grow hungry and worry because the smoke from the sacrifices is no longer reaching the heavens. Initially, they send Iris as a messenger, but she is violently dismissed by Peisetaerus. Then the always anti-authoritarian Prometheus appears to secretly inform Peisetaerus about the decisions of the gods and advise him on what to do to take their power.

Indeed, as Prometheus had already warned, a delegation of the gods arrives to negotiate the free movement of the smoke. The delegation consists of the diplomat Poseidon, the fearsome eater Heracles, and the boorish Triballus, who represents the barbarian gods. The negotiations - which take place next to a roasted sacrificial animal - conclude, always according to Prometheus's advice, with the marriage of the beautiful young goddess Basileia to Peisetaerus. Thus, the work ends with the wedding union of Peisetaerus and the celestial goddess.

Aristophanes is the great creator of ancient Greek comedy, a man who, with poetic grace, impressive frankness, and a critical spirit, satirized the wrongdoings of his homeland and his time. Although he draws his themes from contemporary realities, he captures the timelessness of human problems.