Aristophanes' Lysistrata is a battle plan staged in bedrooms rather than on blood-soaked fields. To end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city-states, the sharp-tongued heroine corrals women into a sex strike as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace. What follows is a riot of stalemates, swollen egos, and negotiations derailed by bodily impatience. Far from a crude gag, the play weaponizes laughter to expose the absurdity of martial obsession and the fragility of male power when confronted with sustained collective action.

ARISTOPHANES (c. 446-c. 386 BCE) was ancient Athens' most celebrated comic playwright and satirist. As a leading voice of Old Comedy, he mixed slapstick, satire, and sharp political critique. His works lampooned powerful figures, from generals to philosophers like Socrates. Plays such as Lysistrata, The Clouds, and The Frog are still performed today.