Iphigenia in Aulis

By Euripides

In this new translation of Euripides' celebrated Greek tragedy, W.S. Merwin and George E. Dimock, Jr. offer a compelling look at the devastating consequence of 'man's inhumanity to man.' A stern critique of Greek culture, Iphigeneia at Aulis condemns the Trojan War by depicting the power of political ambition and the ensuing repercussions of thoughtlessly falling to the will of constituency. The translation impressively re-creates the broad array of moral and emotional tones conveyed by Euripides, with a comprehensive introduction, notes on the text, and a glossary of mythical and geographical terms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Mar 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781625587619

Euripides

Euripides was a tragedian of classical Athens. He was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC to his mother, Cleito, and father, Mnesarchus, a retailer who lived in a village near Athens. He had two disastrous marriages, and both his wives—Melite and Choerine (the latter bearing him three sons)—were unfaithful. He became a recluse, making a home for himself in a cave on Salamis. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. He became, in the Hellenistic Age, a cornerstone of ancient literary education. The details of his death are uncertain.

Reviews for Iphigenia in Aulis

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Near the end of Iphigenia at Aulis, Iphigenia has offered herself as a sacrificial victim: "I have decided that I must die. And I shall die gloriously."(p 58) At this point the Chorus echoes her praises, but one wonders at the events that have led to this point and the event that will come to follow this moment as the ending turns the drama on its head.The story told in this drama by Euripides is one that Athenians knew well. It was told by Aeschylus in his drama Agamemnon, the first play in the trilogy known as The Oresteia. Thus it would have had a tremendous impact on this audience and that impact has continued to this day. In Aeschylus's play the Chorus, made up of the old men of Argos, enters and tells the story of how the Trojan Prince Paris stole Helen, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus, leading to ten years of war between Greece and Troy. Then the Chorus recalls how Clytemnestra's husband Agamemnon (Menelaus' brother) sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia at Aulis to the god Artemis to obtain a favorable wind for the Greek fleet. The play raises serious questions about the value of an individual life, and under what circumstances that life can be taken. Is the play's central event, the sacrifice of Iphigenia, a pointless waste, or a tragic necessity? Do the players, her father Agamemnon, Achilles, and Iphigenia herself, have a choice or is their fate determined by the gods (Artemis in particular)? Is the war that will be fought as a result of her sacrifice a just cause, or a petty quarrel over individuals and the fate of the beautiful Helen? Is her decision to offer herself an act of heroic patriotism? Acceptance of the inevitable or possibly a sign of madness? These questions and more linger in one's mind during and after reading this powerful drama. In Euripides play Iphigenia invokes values important to the Greeks (p 58-9); including obedience to the gods, "Artemis has determined to take this my body--can I, a mere mortal, thwart a goddess's will?"; that the community is more important than the individual, the Greeks must prevail over the barbarians, that men are more valuable than women, and that death in defense of these values is glorious and brings everlasting fame, "Sacrifice me and destroy Troy. That will be my epitaph for eternity. That will be my glory,". That the glory that she seeks is one determined by men is an open question. The play also raises questions about the importance of the family as her mother, Clytemnestra and supposed suitor, Achilles, take on important roles.The translation of this play by Nicholas Rudall is both lucid and poetic in an attempt to capture some of the music that Euripides was famous for. His tragic irony shines through the dialogue. The questions raised in this play are universal in the sense that we still are concerned over the nature of heroism and fidelity to one's community. Euripides won a prize for this drama even though he was no longer present in Athens and had died the previous year. I would recommend this to all who are interested in these questions and their presentation in one of the singular dramas of the Western tradition.n.

[rores28 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Saw this at an incredibly small and intimate venue in Chicago and was blown away. The play was essentially 85 mins of pure pathos and somehow never grew tiresome or overwrought. I (and my girlfriend) got teary-eyed on a few occasions when [Spoiler Alert!!] Agamemnon had to tell his daughter he was going to kill her and when she had resolved to die with honor and actually rejoiced in the decision.The music was provided by a lone drum and violin that added to the intimacy and provided a really evocative ambiance.

[tadad_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the most cynical of the Greek plays I've encountered so far. Agamemnon must choose between sacrificing his daughter, Iphigenia, to ensure fare winds for the fleet or face the wrath of his men who place martial honor far above familial affection. The story casts an unflattering light on the supposed heroes of the Trojan War; only Achilles comes through with any modicum of grace. The reader's only satisfaction is in knowing the fate awaiting Agamemnon some years hence, and wishing it could be visited on a few others. Killing a daughter for a war whose sole basis is satisfying outraged male pride would seem so foreign to modern sensibilities, but we only have to look at honor killings to see that those sensibilities can be wrong.This is a prose translation by the director of The Court Theater using modern, colloquial English. I found it completely readable. However, I also tried a more traditional version I found online at The Internet Classics Archive and preferred it.

[clytemnestra215_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Iphigenia at Aulis seems to have been constructed in a society in which it was ideal to put nation and family ahead of oneself. (Rather like in China, with their Confucianist ideals.) Euripides seemed to like this approach to duty, as the character who ends up with the ultimate compliment in the end - being whisked away by a goddess - portrays these ideals perfectly.If we were to blame one character, that character could in turn point to another for the blame. We could blame the seer (off the top of my head, I remember his name started Ch- but not much more) for making up a malicious, treacherous method of 'appeasing the gods.' How do we know he didn't just get slighted by Agamemnon at some time and wants to give him hell now? We don't.The seer would blame it on Agamemnon's own slighting of the gods. Clytemnestra would also blame it on her husband, judging from that marvelous monologue which she goes into about him having killed her first husband and child, and pleading with him not to kill another. He's not exactly on her good side (a point which is later most vehemently illustrated in the Oresteia by Aeschylus).One might even blame Artemis, but one can't blame a god for being a god, so it's useless to point the finger at her. Humans seem to be insects anyway to these gods. What's one more virgin maid to them?One can always blame somebody. We might as well blame Orestes. He was crying.It's no use to look for blame. Anyway, she didn't end up being killed. (Or DID she? Always the clincher. Were they all lying just to appease Clytemnestra?)Of course, if we're to go based upon "Iphigenia at Tauris," one of Euripides' other dramas, she definitely did get away. How quaint. Yay for deus ex machina. Confetti!