Iphigeneia in Tauris (Greek Tragedy in New Translations)

Euripides’ Iphigeneia in Tauris finds Iphigeneia far from Greece, serving as priestess of Artemis among the Taurians after the goddess rescued her from sacrifice at Aulis. Her duties require her to prepare captured Greeks for sacrifice, until two strangers arrive and she discovers that one of them is her brother Orestes. Recognition transforms the threat of death into an intricate attempt at escape and reunion.

Richmond Lattimore’s translation presents one of Euripides’ most carefully constructed recognition plays, combining danger, deception and family restoration with the language and conventions of tragedy. Although the drama moves toward rescue rather than catastrophe, it continues Euripides’ exploration of sacrifice, divine intervention and the unstable fortunes of the house of Agamemnon. This Oxford Greek Tragedy in New Translations edition is an accessible choice for readers interested in Euripides and the wider mythic cycle surrounding Iphigeneia and Orestes.