One of the most famous of Aristophanes' comedies depicting powerfully effectual women is the Lysistrata, named after the female lead character of the play. It portrays Athenian Lysistrata and the women of Athens teaming up with the women of Sparta to force their husbands to end the Peloponnesian War. To make the men agree to a peace treaty, the women seized the Acropolis, where Athens' financial reserves are kept, and prevented the men from squandering them further on the war. They then beat back an attack on their position by the old men who have remained in Athens while the younger men are out on campaign. When their husbands return from battle, the women refuse to have sex with them. This sex strike, which is portrayed in a series of exaggerated and clamorous sexual insinuation, finally convinces the men of Athens and Sparta to agree to a peace treaty.

The Lysistrata shows women acting bravely and even aggressively against men wh

Ending the war would be so easy that even women could do it. Aristophanes is telling Athenian men, and Athenians should concern themselves with preserving the old ways, lest they be lost. Aristophanes (Through the eyes of the women) mocks man's inclination for fighting. His catalyst was Lysistrata, feminist champion over war through peace. The idea of role reversal was as funny to the Athenians. Their culture was such that each gender had very defined roles, and there really wasn't any room for leeway.

The women challenged the masculine role model to preserve the traditional way of life of the community. When the women become challenged themselves, they took on the masculine characteristics and attitudes and defeat the men physically, mentally but most of all strategically. Proving that neither side benefits from it, just that one side loses more than the other side.

Women were property. Something beautiful to own, to gaze upon, to fulfill your sexual needs and desires and to bear and raise your children in the appropriate cultural aspect. Except for sex and the family element, women really didn't have any redeeming social values. To even consider putting a woman into any position where she would be required to think, or to make decisions outside of the home was laughable. This is the root of their humor. Role reversal was true humor because to imagine a woman in a multifaceted role was just insane. The sky would fall first.

o seem resolved on ruining the city by prolonging a pointless war and excessively expending reserves stored

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