Peace Summary

The play begins with two slaves kneading "beetle-cake", that is, dung from a variety of animals that they are collecting to feed the huge beetle that their master has been keeping in the stable. Their master plans to ride the gigantic dung beetle into heaven to convince the gods to resurrect peace so as to end the war between Athens and Sparta. His plan, crazy as it seems was apparently inspired by Aesop's tale of another beetle flying into heaven to contend with an eagle. As their master Trygaeus flies off on his beetle, he tells his servants and daughter not to fart or use the bathroom for 3 days lest his dung beetle smell their excrement and fly back down to earth to dine on the delicacy. After this word of caution, Trygaeus flies into heaven only to be met at the gate...