Source edition
Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. II. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1921-1962)
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This drama centers on the Greek princess Iphigenia, who, after being saved from sacrifice at Aulis by the goddess Artemis, serves as a priestess in the barbarian land of Tauris. Plagued by ominous dreams, she is tasked with the grim duty of preparing captured Greeks for human sacrifice. The plot intensifies when her long-lost brother Orestes, driven by the Furies for matricide, arrives with his loyal friend Pylades to steal the sacred statue of Artemis, only for both to be captured. Meeting without knowing each other's identities, a letter intended for Greece leads to a dramatic recognition between the siblings, who then joyfully hatch a daring escape plan. Iphigenia deceives King Thoas under the pretext of cleansing the prisoners' impurities in the sea and flees with the holy statue. Although an adverse wind threatens their escape and leaves them stranded, the goddess Athena intervenes, halting King Thoas's pursuit and ensuring their safe return to Greece to establish a new cult.