The Birds by Aristophanes - Summary

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The play opens with Euelpides and Pithataerus in a wild and desolate region, each with a bird in hand. They followed the advice of birds and regret it now that they are lost. The characters speak directly to the audience. They are average citizens escaping the duties and taxes of Athenian life.

The men meet Trochilus, slave-bird to Epops, formerly king Teurus, now turned Hoopoe (a bird). They flatter him, telling him they are escaping Athens to be more like him, a free bird devoid of debt and cares, as well as intellectually and physically superior to men. They ask him to direct them to a city that is more pleasant than Athens, not an aristocratic place but a place where food is free and plentiful. Epops suggests several towns but they are not adequate to the men. And so, Pithetaerus comes up with the idea to found a city. The city will be built in the sky, which is the perfect location to control mankind as well as the gods, by controlling the trafficking of sacrificial smoke, thus starving the gods.

Epops likes the idea of a bird city. The men wake the birds up. Different birds start streaming in, and from the way they are described we can guess that they are references to public figures in Athens. The birds are frightened at the presence of the two men and decide to tear them to pieces. Epops convinces them to hear the men out by listing the virtues of the men and flattering the birds. Pithetaerus speaks to the birds, once again flattering them, telling them birds are older and superior to both gods and men and that by this right they should rule over all. He tells elaborate lies, drawing from myth, about their history and relationship to the gods to convince them of their superiority.

The birds decide to approach Zeus and get him to surrender to them. If Zeus won't they will prevent the gods from reaching earth to sleep with mortal women. On the other hand they will approach mankind and tell them they must sacrifice to birds instead of to gods. If men don't do so the birds will destroy the crops of men. However if they do agree the birds will provide benefits to the men, such as protecting their crops against pests.

Epops directs the men to eat a certain root, which turns them into birds. They begin building the city and arranging religious ceremonies to honor the birds. Pithetaerus sends off several tradesmen who offer their services to the city, such as a poet, an oracle-monger, lawyer and a surveyor. The chorus promises the judges of the competition riches if they win, bird droppings if they lose.

A messenger comes in and announces the building of the city complete. A second messenger announces an infiltration of the city by the goddess Iris, sent by Zeus. They do not let her pass to tell humans to sacrifice to the gods. Afterwards a herald comes from the humans below, telling Pithetaerus that thousands of humans want to join the bird city and become birds. We encounter a few of them and their reasons for wanting to be birds. Pithetaerus provides wings for them.

Prometheus enters the city, masked for fear Zeus will find out. He tells Pithetaerus that the gods are starving because sacrificial smoke is not reaching them. Prometheus says Zeus will send a messenger to negotiate and advises Pithetaerus to agree only to complete obeisance from the gods as well as the hand in marriage of Basileia, assistant to Zeus. Possessing her will make Pithetaerus all-powerful. Indeed, ambassadors come in the form of Poseidon, Heracles (son of Zeus, and trollishly dumb) and Triballus. They say that they have come in peace. Pitathaerus asks that Zeus yield his power to him and Heracles is ready to hand over the throne. Pithetaerus again pitches the advantages of alliance with the birds to the embassadors. Poseidon is reluctant, and tells Heracles he would lose his inheritance if Zeus is dethroned. Pithetaerus tells Heracles he has no entitlement to the inheritance as he is a bastard child of Zeus', and this convinces Heracles to also hand over Basileia, in addition to Zeus' throne. The play ends with the wedding party going to Zeus' palace.


Aristophanes

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