So it is evident that "love" is what has taken over him. It is clear in the readers mind that "love" is the theme of the story.
The men of Athens become frustrated and angry because their wives have deprived them of sex. The sex issue starts to become a very serious issue. The men feel they have to stand up for themselves, and they capture some of the women. But then the women threaten them. "I warn you. We have four battalions behind us-full armed combat infantrywomen trained from the cradle" (Lysistrata 745). Then the men realize that the women will not give up an easy fight and that the women are still in control. At some point the men become aggressive with the women. Aristophanes writes, "will the two of you kindly TIE HER UP?" (Lysistrata 744). The men think that by capturing the women that they will give up but the women stay strong. This shows that the sex must be very important to the men of Athens if they are willing to capture and tie up their own wives! This tells the reader that the men are very week because sex has taken over their minds. If sex did not mean so much to the men, then they wouldn't be getting so frustrated. .
Even though Daphne runs away from Apollo, he runs behind her, pleading his love to her. He doesn't get frustrated like the men of Athens do with their wives. Apollo goes about it differently. He tries to make her understand that he loves her, and he wants to be with her. He states, .
O, daughter of Peneus, stay! Dear, Daphne I don't pursue you as an enemy! Wait, nymph! You flee as would the lamb before the wolf, the deer before the lion, or the trembling dove before the eagle; (Apollo and Daphne 1139 & 1140). .
It is the men of Athens that act like so towards their wives, opposite to Apollo who loves Daphne unconditionally with out "sex". .
Finally, the men of Athens cannot withstand anymore, give in and withdraw from the war so that they can get sex again from their wives.
