Peace

The text of the play can be found here.

Written after Athens and Sparta had been at war for many years, the Peace of Aristophanes focuses on Trygaeus, a farmer, who flies to Olympus on the back of a dung-beetle to find out what has happened to the goddess Peace. He helps rescue her from a pit in which War has imprisoned her, and the play concludes with a feast demonstrating the joys of peace.

As with most plays of Aristophanes, the dialogue is filled with sexual and scatalogical puns and wordplay, which are often obscured in some of the more squeamish translations made in late Victorian and Edwardian times. Such translations, unfortunately, form the bulk of what is available in the public domain and in many prudish public libraries, at least in the USA. For a clear (and funny) translation of most classical Greek drama it is usually best to look for more recent translations, unless you can read the plays in their Classical Greek originals.

A public domain translation by an unknown translator, adapted from Project Gutenberg sources appears elsewhere on E₂. Text of The Peace of Aristophanes

Peace (?), n. [OE. pees, pais, OF. pais, paiz, pes, F. paix, L. pax, pacis, akin to pacere, paciscere, pacisci, to make an agreement, and prob. also pangere to fasten. Cf. Appease, Fair, a., Fay, v., Fang, Pacify, Pact, Pay to requite.]

A state of quiet or tranquillity; freedom from disturbance or agitation; calm; repose

Exemption from, or cessation of, war with public enemies

Public quiet, order, and contentment in obedience to law

Exemption from, or subjection of, agitating passions; tranquillity of mind or conscience

Reconciliation; agreement after variance; harmony; concord.

Chaucer.

⇒ Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding silence, quiet, or order. "Peace! foolish woman."

Shak.

At peace, in a state of peace. -- Breach of the peace. See under Breach. -- Justice of the peace. See under Justice. -- Peace of God. Law (a) A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct. (b) Theol. The peace of heart which is the gift of God. -- Peace offering. (a) Jewish Antiq. A voluntary offering to God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with Him. (b) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person. -- Peace officer, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a sheriff or constable. -- To hold one's peace, to be silent; to refrain from speaking. -- To make one's peace with, to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another. "I will make your peace with him." Shak.

© Webster 1913.

Peace, v. t. & i.

To make or become quiet; to be silent; to stop.

Shak.

When the thunder would not peace at my bidding. Shak.

© Webster 1913.