How we cite our quotes: Line
Quote #10
Lysistrata: "Now that you're my captive audience I'm ready to give you the tongue-lashing you deserve—both of you. You two sprinkle altars from the same cup like kinsmen, at Olympia, at Thermopylae, at Pytho—how many other places could I mention if I had to extend the list—yet when enemies are available with their barbarian armies, it's Greek men and Greek cities you're determined to destroy." (1128-1134)
So, after all that talk about how horrible war is, you might be thinking that Aristophanes is trying to teach his audience a pacifist message. Nope. In this passage, Lysistrata is arguing that the main problem is that the Greeks are fighting the wrong people: instead of fighting each other, they should be turning their attention to defeating the Barbarians (non-Greeks) who threaten them.