The Acharnians is a comedy written by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, and it was first performed in 425 BCE, during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. The play centers around the character Dikaiopolis, a middle-aged Athenian who is fed up with the ongoing war and the sacrifices it has required of the people of Athens.
At the beginning of the play, Dikaiopolis is depicted as being isolated and alone in the Pnyx, the public assembly place in Athens. He is frustrated by the ongoing conflict and how it has disrupted and divided the community. To find some respite from the war, Dikaiopolis decides to negotiate a personal peace treaty with the Megarians, a neighboring people who are at odds with both Athens and Sparta.
The idea of a private citizen negotiating a peace treaty with a foreign power is highly unconventional, and Dikaiopolis's actions are met with ridicule and disbelief by the other characters in the play. However, Dikaiopolis is able to secure a peace treaty with the Megarians and is able to enjoy the fruits of peace, including the ability to buy Megarian wine and produce, which had previously been banned due to the state of war between the two sides.
As Dikaiopolis revels in the pleasures of peace, the other characters in the play, including the Commissioner, who has been away in Persia for a long time, and the Chorus of Acharnians, who are farmers from the town of Acharnae, become increasingly jealous of his situation. The Commissioner, in particular, is depicted as being out of touch with the reality of the war and the suffering it has caused for the people of Athens, and his lengthy absence in Persia is meant to symbolize the disconnect between the politicians and the general populace.
In the end, Dikaiopolis's peace treaty with the Megarians serves as a commentary on the futility of the ongoing conflict and the possibility of finding alternative solutions to problems through individual action and negotiation. The play ultimately advocates for the importance of peace and the need to find ways to end the destructive cycle of war.
