Ancient and Medieval Political Theory - Assignment Example

One of the key concepts or ideas that emanates from the play d the birds, by Aristophanes, is power. Because of a disillusioned life in Athens, two friends, Pisthetaerus and Euelpides move out in search of a legendary Thracian King, who has been turned into a Hoopoe bird. Pisthetaerus convinces Hoopoe that they should build a castle or a city in the sky. This would give them power and authority over men, and the Olympian gods1. This concept of power is constantly depicted in the play, even in the meeting of the birds, who are enraged at seeing men in the meeting.

This is because men are their traditional enemies. Furthermore, Pisthetaerus explains to the birds that they are the original gods, and hence they should reclaim their position by building a city in the sky. This would blockade the Olympian gods, into accessing the worship of men, and hence force them into submission2. In the context of this text, power means the ability of making other people to be submissive to an individual. Furthermore, it means the ability to reclaim the past glory or honor.

That is, the birds were once gods, and hence, they should reclaim their position from the Olympian gods. This concept of power has been extensively discussed in this class. For example, we learn of authoritarian rule, democracies, and tyrannies. All these are different types of powers and authorities exercised by governments. Democracy, is the rule of many, while tyranny, is the rule of minority, and by force. Authoritarian rule and tyranny are examples of dictatorships. All these are aspects of power.

Political power is an aspect that affects the contemporary society3. States are normally encouraged to establish a democratic system of governance. This is because democracy ensures that there is transparency in the governance process. Countries such as United States is a democracy, and it rarely has a good diplomatic relationship with countries that are authoritarian and undemocratic. Bibliography:Henderson, Jeffrey. Three plays by Aristophanes: staging women. 2nd ed. Abingdon, Oxon [England: Routledge, 2010.