Aristophanes 
Birds 
A Play

Birds rule the sky—and man—in this entertaining work by the Ancient Greek playwright known for Lysistrata and The Clouds.   This award-winning comedy—first performed in Greece in 414 BC—remains a delightful read even after two millennia. As the birds of Athens express their frustration about sharing a realm with humans, they hatch a plan to build their own empire in the sky: Cloud-cuckoo-land. Soon they are exercising their power as they form a barrier between mortals and the Olympians—and declare themselves the new gods.