Trygaeus, an Athenian vine dresser, rages at the distress caused by the war and resolves to ascend to heaven to ask Zeus redress the unjustice by setting Peace free. In order to succeed in his object he orders his servants to feed and train a gigantic dung beetle. Eventually he reaches Olympus, only to learn from Hermes that the gods have moved as they could not bare seeing men fighting each other and that the goddess Peace has been cast into a pit by the demon of war. Trygaeus himself, confronts the demon of War and his servant, Tumult, who are about to pestle the Greek States into a huge mortar in order to exterminate them. The pestle however is lost and they leave to search for a new one. Trygaeus immediately calls upon the Greeks to help him rescue the goddess. Hermes attempts to stop the operation informing them that Zeus has determined to punish with death penalty whoever attempts to rescue Peace. Trygaeus, however, bribes Hermes and rescues Peace as well as Opora and Theory, her companion, and they all return to earth. After the paravasis, where the chorus asks the audience to honour the poet with the victory coronal, Trygaeus prepares for his nuptials with Opora. The festivities are interrupted by the ones who have reason not to want Peace, as Hierocles, the soothsayer, the gun dealers, the sons of Lamachus and Kleonymos, who are finally booted out. The play concludes with the nuptials of Trugaeus with the goddess Opora and a song by the chorus lauding the joy of a peaceful life.