Abstinence is the KEY...

In the beginning of Lysistrata, the story really took off. Lysistrata sets up the plot of the play when she announces her plan to the ladies of Greece about how they will be able to end the war between their husbands. The women travel from all over Greece to gather at this meeting Lysistrata has called. However, all of the women were late and definitely were not enthusiastic about attending this meeting. Aristrophanes foreshadows the women's attitudes towards abstinence in their their late arrival and rushing Lysistrata to reveal her reasoning for summoning them. On the other hand, Kleonike, on of the women who would emerge as a leader during the abstinence movement was the first to arrive. When Lysistrata announces that she has a plan that will end the war, the women are excited . One mentions that she will cut herself in half but when they learn the method which will be used to achieve peace they all complain. Anything but sex would have been acceptable even walking over burning hot coals, but refraining from sex was asking a little too much of these ladies.