Source edition
Euripides. Euripidis Fabulae, Vol. III. Murray, Gilbert, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913. (Reprinted 1920-1978)
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This drama depicts a single tense night during the Trojan War, focusing on the arrival and tragic fate of the Thracian ally King Rhesus (Rhēsos). Set in the Trojan camp, the story begins with Hector preparing to counter suspicious movements in the Greek fleet, while dispatching Dolon as a spy to scout the enemy lines. Soon after, King Rhesus arrives with his magnificent army and boasts of an easy victory, after which Hector assigns him a campsite. Meanwhile, the Greek infiltrators Odysseus and Diomedes, guided by the goddess Athena, slip into the camp and assassinate the sleeping Rhesus. When Rhesus's wounded charioteer accuses Hector of treachery, a heated confrontation ensues until the Muse, Rhesus's mother, descends to reveal the truth of her son's death. The play concludes with a poignant lament from the Muse, prompting Hector to rally his forces for a final, decisive assault at dawn.