Aristophanes. The Birds. 414 B.C.; Gutenberg.org, 22 Jan. 2013.
Anthony Doerr, the author of All the Light We Cannot See, has come out with a new book which I want to read at some point. He named his latest Cloud Cuckoo Land. He gets the title from this ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes. I figured that I should read this first to get a little background.
The Birds is a light, even silly , comedy. Two Athenians—Euelpides and Pisthetaerus—have gotten disgusted with Athenian politics and are looking for a new place to live. There is also a suggestion that they owe people money and may be trying to escape repaying their debts.
As with other Aristophanes’ comedies, this adapts some old myths for its own purposes. People may know the story of Procne, Philomela, and Tereus and how they were all turned into birds; Tereus, into a hoopoe. They learn that former mortal King Tereus is now King of the Birds. With the help of their pets, a jay and a crow, they persuade Tereus to create a new city-state in the air. The city state will be called Nephelococcygia, or Cloud Cuckoo Land. (This particular translation does not usually translate it, but tells us it means “Cloud Cuckoo Town.” Same idea.)
Word spreads quickly because this new city in the air intercepts all the prayers and sacrifices headed to the gods in the heavens and on Olympus. The gods are starving, and many of the mortals like the new arrangements because the gods are not meddling in their lives any more.
A series of other people seeking entrance to Cloud Cuckoo Land make up most of the story. These seekers include a priest, a thief, a philosopher, two poets, and a lawyer, among others. They are all looking to see how they contribute to this new society to make it a better place. They are all turned back by the two men and the Chorus of Birds. Eventually the gods Poseidon, Heracles, and Triballus (you’ve probably never heard of him but we get his story) come to try to get the birds to relent on the sacrifices.
Without going into too much detail, Pisithetaerus eventually strikes a deal that is too good for him to pass up. This was written during the Peloponnesian War and there are some discussions about who has the superior culture, Athens or Sparta. The overall theme is clear, though. There is no such thing as a perfect society simply because there are no perfect people, and it is no better without gods.
In the last hundred years or so, most anti-Utopian literature has been dystopian like We, 1984, or The Hunger Games. The Birds is much more light-hearted. We laugh at the various characters who parade across the proscenium, but the message in some ways is the same as 1984. Even the best intentioned government planning ends up being oppressive to someone. When Thomas More coined the word Utopia, he knew what he was doing. It means “Nowhere.” Anyone who believes such a place is possible probably has his head in the clouds and is a bit cuckoo—or dangerous.
This particular translation does not have any credits as to who did the translation or when it was done. It does have numerous footnotes which help explain some of the jokes and historical background. For example, we are told that in the Greek as well as the English the name of Triballus sounds like “tribulation.” (Are you looking for trouble?) The notes do help, but the message is there even without them. Yes, even ancient Athens was not perfect. Its decline actually began at this time because of the Peloponnesian War, but don’t most people who try to remake a society have a personal power agenda, too?