The story in one page
Euelpides and Pisthetaerus grow tired of Athenian litigation and tax burdens, so they seek out the birds to propose a new, elevated metropolis. They convince the avian chorus that their city, Nephelococcygia, can starve the Olympian gods by cutting off the smoke from sacrificial offerings. When the gods send Iris and other delegates to negotiate the blockade, Pisthetaerus rebuffs them with bureaucratic red tape. He eventually forces a surrender that grants him power over the cosmos and the hand of the goddess Basileia. The play concludes with a victory procession as the new king assumes his throne among the clouds.
Who's who
- Pisthetaerus
Former Athenian who becomes the ruler of the sky kingdom.
- Euelpides
Friend who joins the venture to escape Athenian legal hassles.
- Epops
The Hoopoe, a bird who leads the two men to others.
- Basileia
The personification of sovereignty surrendered by the Olympian gods.
- Iris
Messenger goddess stopped at the gates for lack of permits.
What it's really about
- Utopian disruption
- Building a new society to spite the old one.
- Bureaucratic satire
- Treating divine messengers like tax-evading foreigners.
Why it's memorable
- A chorus of birds singing about their superior morality.
- Pisthetaerus demanding a permit from a goddess.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Pisthetaerus claims his new wife and the dominion of heaven, ascending to the palace of Zeus as the birds celebrate their final victory. He is carried aloft as the new king of the universe.
For your book club
- Does a city in the clouds actually solve Athenian problems?
- Why treat birds better than human relatives?