Iphigenia in Aulis (Way translation)

fiction, drama, history, arts, books · EN

Iphigenia in Aulis (Ancient Greek Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι) stands as the final surviving masterpiece of the renowned playwright Euripides. Composed between 408 and 406 BC, just before his death, this poignant play premiered the following year as part of a trilogy that included The Bacchae and Alcmaeon in Corinth, where it triumphed at the Athenian city Dionysia. The narrative unfolds around Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, who faces the heart-wrenching choice to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, in a desperate bid to appease the goddess Artemis and secure his armys passage to battle. This harrowing dilemma ignites a clash between Agamemnon and Achilles, foreshadowing their later conflict in the Iliad. Euripides masterfully employs tragic irony to deepen the emotional impact of his characters experiences. This compelling verse translation is brought to life by Arthur Sanders Way, a distinguished classical scholar and headmaster of Wesley College in Melbourne, Au