Όρνιθες

by Aristophanes

"Όρνιθες" by Aristophanes is a comedy performed in 414 BC at the City Dionysia in Athens. Two Athenians, weary of their city's endless legal squabbles, seek out Tereus, a king transformed into a bird. They propose an audacious plan: the birds should build a magnificent city in the sky, reclaiming their ancient status as the original gods and challenging the Olympians themselves. What follows is a fantastical tale of transformation, ambition, and the creation of Cloud-Cuckoo-Land.