Final answer:
In 411 BCE, when Aristophanes wrote 'Lysistrata', Athens was engaged in the drawn-out Peloponnesian War, which is satirized in the play through a women's sex strike aimed at ending the conflict.
Step-by-step explanation:
The city of Athens was engaged in the Peloponnesian War when Aristophanes wrote the comedy Lysistrata in 411 BCE. In this satirical play, the women of Athens, led by Lysistrata, organize a sex strike to force their men to negotiate peace and bring an end to the war. Aristophanes combined witty, ribald humor with a poignant critique of the war and the social standing of women in Greek society.