Some thoughts on Greek Religion in
Aristophanes’ PEACE
Daniel B. Levine
March 22, 2002
Trygaeus goes to heaven and interacts directly with the gods, bringing home three female divinities in this spoof of religion. The underlying ideas are serious, however: the Athenians have been praying for peace because of a long and costly war. Aristophanes makes literal their wish-fulfillment when PEACE (the goddess) actually does return
to Greece. The play makes fun of the greed of the gods (Hermes, in particular) in Greek ritual, and ridicules the oracle mongers, whose prophecies are mostly related in self-interest. In addition, the great happiness in welcoming the goddess Peace to earth embodies itself in a long drawn-out ritual of thanksgiving, with libation, altar, sacrifice (off-stage bloodshed), and — of course — feasting and a marriage celebration in the end.
Humorous Disrespect Towards the Gods
The origin of the disgusting dung beetle. First slave says it can’t
come from Aphrodite, or the Graces (40), and the second slave thinks it
must come from Zeus the thunder god (KATAIBATES 42).
Trygaeus rails at Zeus (LOIDOREITAI), not holding back, and urging him
to stop letting people perish (58, 62). He plans to get right up to Zeus.
This should remind us of the impiety in such an act, as Bellerophon’s flight to the gods showed (see note 5).
Parody of regular religion:
Trygaeus urges the people to keep reverent silence (EUPHEMEIN), as at a public religious ritual… and keep from defecation as she rides to Heaven (96). He plans to indict (GRAPSOMAI) Zeus for betraying
Greece to the Persians (107).
When Trygaeus gets to the gates of Olympus, he meets Hermes, who abuses him by calling him MIAROTATOS (most polluted one). The mortal keeps this name (Arch Scum) in his first interview. When he finally begins the conversation, Trygaeus wins over Hermes with some meat (193), showing Hermes’ greedy nature. He tells Trygaeus that the gods have left because they were sick of the mortals’ fighting and prayers (208). Trygaeus later has to bribe him again in order to buy the god’s silence while the Greeks dig up Peace. He promises that the Greeks will dedicate their festivals to Hermes, including the Great Panathenaea, the Mysteries, the Dipolieia, the Adonia, and will call him HERMES AVERTER OF TROUBLE. He also gives him a golden bowl (416ff). This wins Hermes over, and he calls for Libation, and “auspicious tongues” for the prayers on behalf of Trygaeus’ mission (433ff).
Furthermore, Trygaeus reveals a plot against the gods by the Moon and
the Sun, who want to turn Greece over to the Persians, so that the Greeks will worship only the Moon and Sun, and give up worship of the Olympians. The implication is that the Olympians need the Greeks’ worship, and would come to their aid to keep the sacrifices coming in (406ff).
When Trygaeus gets home, his slave cannot quite believe that he has
brought back three goddesses, and wonders if the gods are pimps (PORNOBOSKOI). To our surprise, Trygaeus says that yes, indeed, among the immortals there are those who pimp girls as mortals do (848ff).
The final act of disrespect for religion comes in the long scene where
Trygaeus and his group deny any share in their feast to the Oracle-monger Hierocles the seer (MANTIS 1046). He utters a series of oracles in a serious tone in order to cajole them into sharing their feast, and to threaten them if they do not give him something. Still, they are steadfast in their rejection of this ‘holy man’, and continue without including him. He is beaten for his pains, and Trygaeus ridicules his oracular utterances. The mockery is all the clearer because the meter of the play changes to “vatic hexameters” (note 85), that is, the meter in which oracles from Delphi were delivered.
Reference to Ancient Cults
Trygaeus asks if any of the audience has been initiated in the MYSTERIES OF SAMOTHRACE to pray for his success (276). “Initiates of the mysteries there were guaranteed a favorable response to their prayers, especially when traveling.” (Henderson, note 17)
Trygaeus, told he must be killed, asks for three drachmas for a piglet
so he can be initiated into the ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES (374) before he dies.
The idea of blessing and cursing clearly surfaces at 439ff: All in favor
of peace will have a lifetime of sexual pleasure, and all who are against
it should suffer a variety of maladies.
When faced with peace, Trygaeus and Hermes decide which gods to honor, and intentionally leave out Ares (455ff).
A slave, admiring Holiday, refers to his preparations for the Isthmian
Games (for Poseidon), with a lewd remark about his membrum virile (879) Then, Trygaeus makes an obscene joke about her in reference to the Liberation Feast (Anarrhysis, the second day of the Apaturia Festival (note 72), line 890. Afterwards, he describes a series of festival activities which are actually obscene sexual outrages that the Council will do to Holiday (894ff).
Soldiers see their names on the MONUMENT OF THE EPONYMOUS HEROES in the Agora. There is a reference to the statue of the hero Pandion (1183), where notices for his tribe are posted (see also note 97).
The Goddess Peace
She is the fondest wish of all the Greeks. She is the greatest of all
goddesses — and the one “most friendly to vines” (308). She brings
the essence of good things. When she returns, says Trygaeus, all will be
able to “rejoice and yell and laugh, for then at last you’ll be free
to travel, stay home, screw, sleep in, attend big festivals, feast, roll
dice, live it up, and yell “hey hey!” (339-345) The only problem
is that “Zeus has ordained death for anyone caught digging her up”
(371).
When Trygaeus is to escort Peace to earth, he calls her Lady (POTNIA
520), and claims that he is speechless with joy at meeting her. He insists
that before they go home they offer prayer to her (PROSEUKOMESTHA 560). This introduces the Chorus’ song in honor of country life: a hymn of praise to Peace, who allows the farmers to enjoy the fruits of their fields (583ff).
The figure of Peace “whispers” to Hermes that the Athenians rejected her when they had a chance to end the war after the capture of
the Spartans at Pylos, and Trygaeus admits that they were at fault (664ff).
The Installation of Peace with ritual takes up several pages of the
text. She is to be installed with KHUTRAI (pots 923), and there is a discussion about sacrificial animal and the preparation of an altar (937). A slave brings basket, barley, garland, knife, kindling, lamb, lustral water (947ff). The ceremony includes making the lamb move his head as he is sprinkled, and a sprinkling of the audience. Finally, a prayer (974ff): “Most august sovereign goddess, Lady Peace, mistress of choruses, mistress of weddings, accept this our sacrifice.” This prayer is undercut by the slave who then asks Peace not to act like an adulterous wife (978ff). The prayer continues with wishes for food, food, and more food. Sacrifice is not permitted on stage, on the grounds that Peace must not have blood on her altar (1019).
The Wedding
The play ends with ritual auspicious speech (EUPHEMEIN KHRE), marriage song and prayers to the gods. The final prayers are for prosperity, food, wine, and procreation (1316ff). The invocation to Hymen (1331ff), the god of marriage (and the embodiment of the wedding song) rings in the audience’s ears as the play comes to its happy conclusion, with bawdy reference to the bride (1339 ff).
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