Peace: In Exile
In “The Peace,” by Aristophanes, Peace is depicted as a female figure. She is joined by two companions who represent Spring and Autumn. The setting is during the Peloponnesian War, and Peace, once she is discovered, refuses to speak to anyone. When she finally does speak her question is “Who loves me?”It was war time when I read that satire, and this was my reaction to both the writing and the current political situation. Peace is gagged to relate her silence, but her question is written across her chest. To either side are the companions that Aristophanes gave to her. The landscape around them is strewn with skulls and broken structures, suggesting the presence of war.