#sacrificial couple

[babyrdie]

favorite line, random headcanon and unpopular opinion about Iphigenia?

Ask game here.

So...I've been answering these questions concisely, but be aware that I got a little carried away this time because it is about a very underrated character (note that the other brief posts were mostly about very popular characters lol), so this answer is unusually long compared to the other asks in this ask game lol. Be prepared when you open this post!

Also, I didn't checked out this text before posting, so please forgive any weird translation problems!

Favorite line

I know that most people prefer one of these iconic lines:

1.

"[...] I shall die — I am resolved — and having fixed my mind I want to die well and gloriously putting away from me whatever is weak and ignoble [...]"

Iphigenia in Aulis, 1375-1377. Translation by Charles R. Walker.

2.

"[...] To Greece I give this body of mine. Slay it in sacrifice and conquer Troy. [...]"

Iphigenia in Aulis, 1398-1399. Translation by Charles R. Walker.

Both lines express the nationalist ideals that Iphigenia presents in Iphigenia in Aulis. These lines tend to be quite beloved, as they represent a subversion in which the character, initially passive, gains a kind of agency by turning her inevitable sacrifice into a way of achieving heroic glory for herself. Thus, she makes her comparable to the men who die in war in the sense that, in the cultural context of Ancient Greece, glory was won by heroes on the battlefield.

Yes, I like them too! But, interestingly, none of them is my favorite. Actually, I have a special fondness for "Achilles was Hades, not the son of Peleus" thing from the passage where she describes the marriage deception.

As for the passage, I wanted to use an English translation because I'm assuming most people here don't understand Portuguese, but due to certain factors it was particularly difficult to find what I wanted from Iphigenia in Tauris in an accessible verse translation, so I'll show two Portuguese translations and pseudo-adapt them to English with my very humild knowledge. I think it's enough for you to identify the passage in your own edition and, although I don't encourage anyone to assume I've done some fantastic work here, the necessary elements are sufficiently present.

IN PORTUGUESE (ACTUALLY MADE BY PROFESSIONALS)

[...] “Ó pai, faço por ti casamento infame, e minha mãe e as argivas, enquanto me matas, hineiam himeneus, e toda a casa ressoa, e somos destruídas por ti. Era Hades Aquiles, não o Pelida, suposto esposo ao me conduzires de carro a núpcias cruéis por dolo. Eu, podendo olhar por finos véus, não recebi nos braços meu irmão, que ora morreu, não beijou a irmã por pudor, quando ela cria que iria à casa de Peleu; e adiei os abraços muitos para meu retorno a Argos. [...]"

Ifigênia em Táurida , 364-377. Tradução por Jaa Torrano.

“Pai, você me deu em casamento, vergonhoso casamento, e minha mãe, enquanto você me assassinava, com as argivas entoava hinos de himeneu, e aulos ressoavam por todo o palácio, e eu era morta por você. Pois era o Hades esse Aquiles, e não o filho de Peleu, o que você me oferecia como esposo ao levar-me, com ardis, em sua carruagem, para bodas sangrentas. Eu, com o fino véu sobre os olhos, não tomei meu irmão, agora morto, para sepultá-lo em meus braços, nem beijei, por vergonha, os lábios de minha irmã, quando eu ia para a morada de Peleu. Deixei muitos abraços para depois, para quando estivesse de volta a Argos.

Ifigênia entre os Tauros , 364-376. Tradução por Marcelo Bourscheid.

IN ENGLISH (A KIND OF FREELY ADAPTATION BY ME, WHO IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL AT ALL):

[...] "Alas, Father, I am brought to a infamous bethrothal by you; and my Mother and the Argive women, while you are killing me, are singing wedding hymns, and the whole house resounds with the flute, and I am destroyed by you. It was Hades then, not the son of Peleus, whom you offered as a husband when you led me in a chariot to bloody nuptials through treachery. But I, looking out through a fine veil, did not take my brother in my arms — and now he is perished — nor did I kiss my sister out of modesty, for I was going to Peleus' halls. Many embraces I put to another time, thinking that I would came back to Argos. [...]"

Of course, part of the reason I like this phrase has to do with my interpretation of the Achilles-Iphigenia relationship, whether in terms of the romantic relationship, tragic youth in times of war or self-sacrificing hero in the pursuit of immortal glory (which I have already addressed in other posts, such as 1 and 2), but the main reason is that it makes extremely clear an interesting aspect of the ancient Greek literary trope "Sacrificial Maiden": death as marriage and marriage as death, a context in which the groom becomes Hades or Death itself.

These symbolic aspects are actually expressed in many examples from Ancient Greek literature, not only those referring to the myths of the Sacrificial Maiden. For example, Sappho seems to hint at this duality of the maiden > wife transition and the living > dead transition in fragment 44, which is about the marriage of Andromache and Hector. In this specific case, it is possible that such allusions were used as symbolism to refer to the unhappy fate of the marriage. In another post, I presented an excerpt from a book that discusses this.

But, if I were to give my opinion, I would have to elaborate on it, and I believe a separate post would be a more viable option… so, perhaps when I have time, I'll make a separate post specifically about "grooms" (yes, plural) of Iphigenia. But, for now, I'll add these explanatory notes that show these connections, explaining the scene as a whole and including the phrase I quoted as my answer to this question:

364–5 νυμφεύομαι νυμφεύματ᾽ αἰσχρά: the construction with cognate accusative (a type of *figura etymologica; see Allan on Hel. 785) is particularly noticeable when, as here, the relationship of the noun to the thing it represents is a metaphorical one: this ‘bridal’ is actually a human sacrifice, hence αἰσχρά perhaps = ‘unseemly’, but also ‘bringing shame’, particularly to the girl’s father. On the relationship between marriage and death, see 369, 370nn. 365–8 Iph. imagines the normal scenes of rejoicing and music (the aulos, the hymenaios song) when a bride leaves her home for marriage; on pre-marriage customs at the bride’s house, see Oakley and Sinos 1993: 13–21, and for music and dance, 24–5. In IA Klytaimestra accompanies her daughter to the Greek camp, but that is for a specific dramatic purpose; here she remains at home and celebrates festivities for her daughter’s marriage there. A strong contrast is drawn between the two parents, mentioned in successive lines. The extended direct speech (to 371) gives a sense that Iph. is reliving her experiences in the present, which νῦν in 366 may hint at, as well as indicating the simultaneity of the wedding preparations in Argos and the sacrificial preparations at Aulis.

367 ὑμνοῦσιν ὑμεναίοισιν: the wordplay suggests a supposed etymology for ὑμέναιος, the wedding song. 367–8 αὐλεῖται δὲ πᾶν μέλαθρον ‘the whole house resounds with the music of the aulos’. Passive constructions are used in similar auditory contexts at (for instance) El. 691, Hel. 1433–4. 368 ὀλλύμεσθα: by contrast with 356, the word is here used literally, to mean ‘we are (= I am) being killed’. 369 ‘So “Achilles” was Hades, not the son of Peleus.’ For the sense of ἄρα, see 351n. Euripides exploits the common tragic equivalence of death (for an unmarried girl) with marriage: compare 856–61, juxtaposing the rituals of marriage and of sacrifice, and see Rehm 1994. Here the appearance of the underworld god in personal form as the bridegroom recalls the rape of Kore-Persephone; see following note.

370 ἁρμάτων … ὄχοις: ‘in carriages of chariots’, but really the whole phrase means simply ‘in a carriage’ (cf. Hipp. 1161, Suppl. 662). A bride was usually escorted to her husband’s home in some sort of wheeled vehicle: Oakley and Sinos 1993: 26–34. Given the ‘marriage to Hades’ motif, the chariot may also recall that used by Hades to abduct Kore (Hom. Hymn Dem. 17–20 and very many visual depictions; LIMC supp. 966–9, nos 177–248). 371 This line seems to mark the end of Iph.’s remembered speech to her father, but she continues to reminisce about her departure from Argos. 372–6 A bride’s face (ὄμμα, 372) was completely or almost completely veiled at her wedding until the moment when the veil was removed by her husband (ἀνακαλυπτήρια), and the veil was strongly associated with αἰδώς, the sense or representation of shame, modesty, or bashfulness. See Llewellyn-Jones 2003: 155–80, 219–24; Cairns 1993: 305–7. Iph. is properly modest, and therefore so abashed at the thought of her imminent wedding that she will not remove the garment placed upon her in preparation for it, even to hug and kiss her siblings. The face-coverings are λεπτά (372) – ‘delicate’, ‘finely worked’, rather than ‘thin’.

373–7 A final parting would naturally be accompanied by kisses and embraces, and their absence is particularly poignant now that Iph. supposes her brother to be dead. But at the time she reasonably expected to make a return visit to her family as a married woman (ὡς ἥξουσ᾽ ἐς Ἄργος αὖ πάλιν, 377); the defeat of her expectations and the omission of the farewells come together to underline the pathos of her situation. 374 ὃς νῦν ὄλωλεν interrupts the reminiscence with an abrupt cut to the present and Orestes’ supposed death, making the lack of a farewell even more bitter. κασιγνήτηι: Elektra, not elsewhere prominent in Iph.’s thoughts about her home in Argos. 375–6 Πηλέως μέλαθρα: because Achilles’ father is still alive, and because Achilles will shortly be absent in Troy, the palace to which Iph. believes she will be going is described as that of Peleus.

Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis edited by Emily Kearns, pg 158-159.

As a bonus, another possible translation that makes the whole thing even more explicit is "That Achilles then was Death, and not Peleus' son" (trans. G.F.H. Sykes). In this case, instead of using "Hades," the translator used "Death." It's true that "Hades" isn't the literal equivalent of "Death" (it is "Thanatos"), but although the choice doesn't remain so coherent in literalness, it indeed remains coherent in symbolism. Even if Hades isn't literally death, by becoming his bride, you will have to go to his house, which is…the House of the Dead aka Underwold! In any case, the symbolism of marriage representing death remains. The myth of Persephone is quite evocative of this, with Demeter's longing and anger at the kidnapping and subsequent sudden marriage of her daughter being represented in a way equivalent to mourning, with Persephone then metaphorically dead and literally married.

There is also this translation:

[...] "Father, what are these For bridal rites? My mother even now Mid Argive women sings for me, whom thou … What dost thou? She sings happy songs, and all Is dance and sound of piping in the hall; And here … Is he a vampyre, is he one That fattens on the dead, thy Peleus' son— Whose passion shaken like a torch before My leaping chariot, lured me to this shore To wed— [...]"

Translation by Gilbert Murray.

In my humble opinion, I don't think this translation, at least in this specific passage (I haven't read the entire edition, so I don't know how he translates the rest of the play), is very useful for analyses based on the original material, as it seems to take some intriguing creative liberties (for example, with the comparison to the vampire), but it is certainly stylish and has a somewhat gothic feeling that might even inspire some in their own creative approaches to the myth, I believe.

Finally, I even made a drawing based on that description! (1, 2, 3).

Random Headcanon

Headcanon 1 - SEXUALITY

Sometimes I like to think of Iphigenia as aroace. To be more specific, no sexual attraction and little romantic attraction. I don't know, the fact that she has many metaphorical grooms (let's leave that for another possible post...) and yet ends up, in most traditions, as a maiden… I like to think of it that way. I admit it's also mainly because I'm aroace and therefore like aroace headcanons. But, of course, realistically, it's just a headcanon and it's quite unlikely that Iphigenia was some kind of "proto"-aroace character. In fact, her virginal aspect is clearly more associated with gender roles, similar to what happens with maiden goddesses and virgin huntresses.

Headcanon 2 - MODERN AU

I have this silly modern AU where the reason Agamemnon despairs over Iphigenia and Achilles isn't because it's a fake marriage that will actually result in her death as a sacrifice, but because Iphigenia has an inner intensity that's being encouraged by Achilles and that's what seems to be leading to her death at any moment. Agamemnon does indeed believe that this Achilles thing will result in Iphigenia's death, but not because Achilles is a name used to lure her to her death instead of wedding, but rather because Achilles is totally introducing her to dangerous entertainment and she is enjoying it a little too much. I also think that, instead of teenage marriage, they would be young adult sweethearts (Achilles' teenage relationship, I imagine, would be with Deidamia. Iphigenia, on the other hand, wouldn't have dated anyone in her teens).

Like, I think she would definitely take advantage of her relationship with Achilles to ride motorcycles at high speed (you can't convince me that a young, intense hero associated with speed wouldn't be a big fan of fast motorcycles in a modern world). I think Agamemnon would never want her to do that because he would have a heart attack from worry, but I believe she would do it anyway and that Clytemnestra would think it was fine and even cover it up. Realistically, Clytemnestra knows it's a terrible idea, but emotionally, Clytemnestra also knew she herself would have done the same.

I have this headcanon that Achilles (who I think in a modern AU would be a young man motivated by adrenaline to the point of recklessness) would dedicate himself to teaching Iphigenia how to ride the motorcycle as well. Driver's license? Who needs that? Iphigenia certainly doesn't! He would probably brag that she doesn't need to worry because, hey, he taught Antilochus how to ride his motorcycle even though he wasn't old enough, and, look, Antilochus is excellent at it! Sure, Nestor and his "go lads, live what I, poor old man, can no longer live" mentality certainly didn't seem to be risking a heart attack like Agamemnon, but hey, you only live once! And sure, maybe this life will end with this reckless ride, but nothing ventured, nothing gained! And I feel, deep in my soul, that Agamemnon would develop some kind of hatred for the mere sight of motorcycles because of these ill-advised escapades, conveniently supported by his wife.

Beyond the motorcycle thing, another reason why Agamemnon, in modern AU, might be absolutely desperate at the idea of ​​Iphigenia perhaps getting serious with Achilles would be Achilles' tendency to get in the wilderness. Come on, Iphigenia is associated with Artemis, a wild goddess, and Achilles is kind of wild himself, these two in a modern AU would DEFINITELY have those unsafe couple programs like camping alone in places where you'd probably end up getting hurt either by animals or by some malicious human. They would be climbing ridiculously high mountains, skydiving, taking scuba diving courses… and Agamemnon couldn't even stop her because, hey, it's not illegal and Iphigenia is adult. The rare times he was at peace were when Iphigenia told him that Chiron was with them, because Chiron had a reputation for being very responsible and reliable.

At that point, I think even Clytemnestra would be seriously worried. And so, she too would begin to despair at the fact that Achilles had ever been introduced to Iphigenia, even though Clytemnestra herself had initially thought it was a great idea because Agamemnon had told her about Achilles' family and academic and sporting achievements and she thought "Oh, what a well-educated young man! And with a good name!" (context: he was talking about things that Nestor, a consultant and close friend who is the father of one of Achilles' best friends, had told him). She thought the whole motorcycle riding thing was the ultimate danger; she wasn't prepared for camping in deserted places or experiences at heights that were either too high or too low.

Eventually, Iphigenia and Achilles would break up amicably. And without either of them knowing, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra would be overjoyed with the news, even popping champagne. They would believe that it all happened because Iphigenia was an inexperienced young woman who allowed herself to be seduced by a guy who was a bad influence and that, without Achilles as a boyfriend, Iphigenia would be safe. Unfortunately, they would soon realize that, in fact, Iphigenia had been like that from the beginning and it just so happened that Achilles encouraged it a little more. In other words, even after the breakup, she would maintain those hobbies (and she would get her driver's license, since, without the relationship, she wouldn't be able to use Achilles' motorcycle as conveniently).

So, Iphigenia would embark on a life of absurd amounts of world travel, each adventure more daring than the last, and she would rarely be home. And from then on, everyone would refer to her past relationship with Achilles as if it had been some kind of terrible thing that took their sister/daughter away (detail: the traveling thing wasn't even Achilles' idea). The way they talk, many people would assume Iphigenia is dead and feel sorry for them. Then, Iphigenia would appear on holidays, specific occasions or even whenever she felt like it, and this would shock everyone. They would all be like "oh my god, wasn't she dead?!" (yes, that's me referencing the tradition where everyone thinks Iphigenia is dead, and meanwhile, she's in Tauris lol)

At some point after all that, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon would divorce because they never agreed on gender roles and because they were both unfaithful, and this would also make their children's lives a living hell because of the legal battle for custody and because the two were constantly arguing over who was the preferred parent. No abuse or deaths in this lighter, modern AU version, but still, I wouldn't want to be any of their children.

Note: For reference, I did some research and, in theory, it's possible to drive low-powered "bikes" at 16 years old in Greece… but let's be honest, Achilles wouldn't be on a "low-powered" vehicle. That guy in his teens would certainly be breaking the law in that regard, and would be strongly supporting Antilochus in doing the same.

OTHER ASPECTS FROM THIS AU:

Note 2: I imagine Iphigenia wouldn't have other romantic relationships after that because she would come to the conclusion that she prefers to be single.

Note 3: I think that their relationship, while it lasted, would have been exclusively romantic, without any sexual undertones (yes, I'm here with the "maiden Iphigenia" thing). They probably had a "handsy" moment in bed in Achilles' apartment for a few brief minutes before Iphigenia thought "yeah, I'm not doing that" and they agreed that yes, they weren't doing that.

Note 4: I like to think their relationship was open because practically all of Achilles' relationships are open, but Iphigenia very cleverly didn't inform her parents about it because even before their divorce, it was evident that the two had serious problems with "fidelity" and she didn't want to risk them thinking that Achilles was cheating on her (he wasn't) and completely freaking out about it.

Patroclus also convinced Achilles to be more discreet in his other sexual/romantic relationships (Patroclus himself included) for "diplomatic purposes" (and this is totally me referencing Patroclus trying to act as a "doplomatic bridge" between Achilles and the army/Agamemnon in The Iliad lol). When Achilles was seen with Patroclus in a decidedly un-platonic situation shortly after the breakup, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon thought he had "moved on too quickly." They didn't know that Patroclus had actually been involved from the very beginning. Iphigenia would convincingly feign shock when approached by someone about how her ex apparently "didn't care about her at all". Girl trying her best to appear heartbroken, but in reality, she doesn't give a fuck.

Note 5: Neither Agamemnon nor Clytemnetas would know this, but Achilles was a teenage father. They wouldn't know this because Deidamia wanted him to keep a low profile about it, so his visits to Neoptolemus and even Neoptolemus's visits to him are all very secret (Patroclus liked to joke that it's almost a secret agent mission to help in the process of not being seen by gossipy neighbors). Iphigenia would find out about this while they were dating, but keep it a secret. Later, Agamemnon would hear something about Achilles having a secret son and form a theory in his mind that the child was Iphigenia's, and he would be absolutely horrified by the idea of ​​his daughter giving birth and abandoning the child to travel the world, all without him knowing. For context, Agamemnon didn't know that Achilles had fathered the child in his teens and therefore it could not have been Iphigenia's.

Somehow, Orestes would understand that the subject of the gossip was about that annoying redhead he disliked. Once, while playing online together, Orestes would argue with Neoptolemus about it being forbidden for him to be Hermione's husband in the game because he is her second-cousin and that would supposedly make him a "symbolic nephew" (yes, Orestes was jealous. And the so-called "online marriage" between Neoptolemus and Hermione was simply because the game gave bonuses in matches where two players were married…yes, a marriage of convenience, a marriage arranged for status!). Neoptoleums would be incredibly confused and would have to explain that no, his mother is not Iphigenia and that, at most, she was a prospective stepmother before she and his father broke up. And so, in this idiotic way, Agamemnon would find out, via Orestes, that, to his delight, Neoptolemus is not his secret grandson. And yeah, this is totally a reference to that weird tradition in which Iphigenia in Neoptolemus mother lol.

Neoptolemus would definitely tell Deidamia about it, who would then laugh a lot before telling Iphigenia (they are friends). And ever since, Iphigenia would occasionally tease her dear father about having a secret son. Agamemnon wouldn't mind because he's aware that it's practically impossible (considering Iphigenia's lack of interest), and therefore it would become an inside joke. Deidamia would occasionally do things like take a picture of Neoptolemus with a bizarre, yet inofensive, spider in his hand and send it to Iphigenia with the caption "He has his mother's nature-loving spirit, God bless her". Achilles would only find out about this whole thing when Deidamia, jokingly, would say something like "I video-called your son's mother yesterday" and he would be like "you're my boy's mom!"

Note 6: Iphigenia resembles her maternal grandmother, Aerope. This, consequently, makes her resemble her uncle, Menelaus, who also resembles Aerope (his mother). Because of this, people who didn't know what Hermione looked like physically, such as colleagues of Iphigenia's aunt and uncle, thought that Iphigenia is the daughter of Helen and Menelaus. So, she had to clarify that her name is Iphigenia, not Hermione, and her parents are Clytemenestra and Agamemnon. And yes, again I'm trying to reference as much as possible. And here I am with the tradition where Iphigenia is Helen's daughter (in the myth, the father is Theseus…yes, in the terrible way you're probably thinking).

Headcanon 3 - TRAUMAS

I think about Iphigenia having constant nightmares in which she is a runnign doe, or she is being carried away in the air, or her throat is being ripped open by her father, or Artemis is coming after her, or she is preparing a sacrifice for Thoas, or Achilles is taking off her bridal veil and suddenly he disappears and she is falling into the abyss, etc, etc.

Iphigenia never eating deer meat again after the whole experience and always neurotic about the wind (either with the idea that it will stop again, or with the idea that Artemis will materialize to take her away). But she feels she has already worried people enough, so she simply pretends that she just doesn't like the taste of this specific meat and that, in fact, the times she feels the wind are simply a liking for the sensation.

She also has a weird relationship with worshipping Artemis because she still adores and respects her, she's still her priestess, and in the end she's grateful to be alive. But at the same time, Artemis haunts her a little. For comparison, it's somewhat similar to Cassandra's behavior in Aeschylus' Agamemnon, where she loves Apollo but at the same time is bitter towards him. In the end, Iphigenia finds solace in the idea that continuing to worship Artemis despite her own fear is proof of loyalty, not a lack thereof.

Unpopular Opinion

I like to think that the sibling who most emotionally resembles Iphigenia is Chrysotemis (at least, in Sopcholes' characterization), given the tendency of both to endure/forgive/put up with (depending on the context, which parent, and the ancient source we are talking about) the problems of both parents.

Iphigenia speaks extensively about Agamemnon deceiving and killing her (in Iphigenia in Aulis and also in Iphigenia in Tauris), but in the end, she still speaks of him with considerable affection and, depending on the context, even tells Clytemnestra to forgive him (in Iphigenia in Aulis). Even after learning everything Clytemnestra did, Iphigenia doesn't seem to hold a grudge against her (in Iphigenia in Tauris), probably because, in her mind, Clytemnestra is the woman who lovingly prepared her for marriage and fought to keep her alive. And yet, it's also consistent that she doesn't blame Orestes for what he did and supports him on his journey of purification (in most sources). Also, notably, in comparison with Electra and Orestes, Iphigenia speaks of Helen and Menelaus in a much less negative way, even though they are indirectly the reason for her death, and don't speaks of Aerope at all (considering general characterizations of Orestes and Electra in the plays and, but specially Euripides and Sophocles, in the case of Iphigenia, of Euripides, since that is what we have).

It seems that, overall, Iphigenia in her Euripidean characterization has a tendency to avoid reacting in a truly aggressive or violent way, whether verbally or physically, directly or indirectly, towards family members. It reminds me of Chrysotemis' survival strategy in Sophocles' Electra. She seemed to had difficulty identifying with Electra's rebellious desires or Orestes' murderous mission. Chrysotemis, in Sophocles, also doesn't seem to be as bitter about Helen and Menelaus as Electra or Orestes in other plays.

So yes… I usually see Iphigenia associated with Orestes (I imagine because she's the sibling we see her interacting with most in the sources; and because both have somewhat sweet characterizations, depending on the author in the case of Orestes) or Electra (I imagine because both are somewhat subsersive girls, depending on which source you use for Iphigenia), but I think she would probably understand Sophocles' Chrysotemis better.

I am presenting this possible unpopular opinion because my other possible unpopular opinion (I prefer the tradition in which Iphigenia does not die) is already known to those who follow me.

[blueberry-ink-93]

iphipyrrha nation how we doin

tfw when ur partner somehow survives the war that ur shared partner was killed in and u run into each other a decade later and something in u sparks immediately but u just cant put a finger on it and the lingering love and grief looms over you both of you have changed you can never go back to what you were but also ur the only thing either of you have left of a previous life. or soemthing

[babyrdie]

[All excerpts used are from Perseus Library translation]

Okay, I've talked about the romantic dynamic between Iphigenia and Achilles in a less popular tradition (compared to the tradition that's all farce and nothing but deception), but I also like their dynamic in Iphigenia in Aulis because I feel like it, to some extent, has to do with the way Iphigenia is both humanized and objectified by the context that's imposed on her. I usually see their relationship being used to make a point about Achilles, but I think it's possible to make a point about Iphigenia as well.

Achilles is willing to cooperate with Clytemnestra from the beginning after they both discover Agamemnon's plan, and he doesn't need to be convinced to help. But they don't have the same goal, not really. Clytemnestra wants to save Iphigenia, but Achilles doesn't seem to be thinking about Iphigenia specifically. In fact, he seems to be thinking about his honor. When Clytemnestra begs Achilles to help her, he responds:

Achilles My proud spirit is stirred to range aloft, butI have learned to grieve in misfortune [920] and rejoice in high prosperity with equal moderation. For these are the men who can count on ordering all their life rightly by wisdom's rules. True, there are cases where it is pleasant not to be too wise, [925] but there are others, where some store of wisdom helps. Brought up in godly Chiron's halls myself, I learned to keep a single heart; and provided the Atridae lead well, I will obey them; but when they cease from that, no more will I obey; [930] no, but here and in Troy I will show the freedom of my nature, and, as far as in me lies, do honor to Ares with my spear. You, lady, who have suffered so cruelly from your nearest and dearest, I will, by every effort in a young man's power, set right, investing you with that amount of pity [935] and never shall your daughter, after being once called my bride, die by her father's hand; for I will not lend myself to your husband's subtle tricks; no! for it will be my name that kills your child, although it does not wield the sword. Your own husband [940] is the actual cause, but I shall no longer be guiltless, if, because of me and my marriage, this maiden perishes, she that has suffered past endurance and been the victim of affronts most strangely undeserved.

So am I made the poorest wretch in Argos; [945] I a thing of nothing, and Menelaus counting for a man! No son of Peleus I, but the issue of a vengeful fiend, if my name shall serve your husband for the murder. No! by Nereus, who begot my mother Thetis, in his home amid the flowing waves, [950] never shall king Agamemnon touch your daughter, no! not even to the laying of a finger-tip upon her robe; or Sipylus, that frontier town of barbarism, the cradle of those chieftains' line, will be henceforth a city indeed, while Phthia's name will nowhere find mention. [955] Calchas, the seer, shall rue beginning the sacrifice with his barley-meal and lustral water. Why, what is a seer? A man who with luck tells the truth sometimes, with frequent falsehoods, but when his luck deserts him, collapses then and there. It is not to secure a bride that I have spoken thus—there are maids unnumbered [960] eager to have my love—no! but king Agamemnon has put an insult on me; he should have asked my leave to use my name as a means to catch the child, for it was I chiefly who induced Clytemnestra to betroth her daughter to me; [965] I would had yielded this to Hellas, if that was where our going to Ilium broke down; I would never have refused to further my fellow soldiers' common interest. But as it is, I am as nothing in the eyes of those chieftains, and little they care of treating me well or ill. [970] My sword shall soon know if any one is to snatch your daughter from me, for then will I make it reek with the bloody stains of slaughter, before it reach Phrygia. Calm yourself then; as a god in his might I appeared to you, without being so, but such will I show myself for all that.

That is, Achilles openly admits that if Agamemnon had asked to use his name and justified it as necessary for Troy to be taken, Achilles would have accepted. He would have been willing to deceive Iphigenia, an innocent maiden who was eager to marry, if it meant that he would go to Troy to achieve his beloved glory. He himself makes this clear in “he should have asked my leave to use my name as a means to catch the child, for it was I chiefly who induced Clytemnestra to betroth her daughter to me; [965] I would have yielded this to Hellas, if that was where our going to Ilium broke down; I would never have refused to further my fellow soldiers' common interest”. Achilles, in literature, is usually presented more as strength than cunning and, in fact, tends to oppose deception. But the Achilles of Iphigenia in Aulis, when he says that he would collaborate with this cunning plan, immediately argues that the reason is that he would be motivated by “my fellow soldiers' common interest”. Sure, one might think that Achilles doesn't seem like someone who would do something he doesn't want to do for the sake of his soldiers, but this Achilles is young and inexperienced (see how he interacts with Clytemnestra in their first meeting, he is even shy to be alone with a woman). He's not the same Achilles we see in The Iliad, an adult in the last year of the war. The Iliadic Achilles is already established in the army, the Euripidean one isn’t and he needs to secure his position. I can believe that he would actively participate in this deception.

Achilles isn’t helping Clytemnestra because he would never sacrifice an innocent maiden, he is helping Clytemnestra because he has been insulted —“Agamemnon has put an insult on me.” It isn’t the aggression directed at Iphigenia, but the insult directed at him that angers him deeply. Because by disregarding Achilles’ consent to the plan, he feels as if he is ignored, as if he doesn’t matter enough to be considered, as if he has no identity at all: “So am I made the poorest wretch in Argos; [945] I a thing of nothing, and Menelaus counting for a man! No son of Peleus I, but the issue of a vengeful fiend, if my name shall serve your husband for the murder.” And if there is one thing that Achilles values, it’s his identity. For it is this identity that brings with it his glorious and famous lineage (so much so that, when denying his identity to himself, he says “no son of Peleus”), that makes him the infamous son of Thetis the Nereid, that makes him a prince, that makes him a descendant of the mighty Zeus, that makes him a pupil of the wise Chiron, that makes him the prophesied warrior. The honor that he values ​​so much is linked to his identity as a person because the achievement of this honor has as its reward the immortalization of Achilles in future generations. A name — one of the strongest identity characteristics — that will be remembered, as well as what comes with it. And what does Agamemnon do when he uses it like this, without considering how he might feel? He transforms Achilles into a tool, a passive object.

But while Achilles is offended by the idea of ​​him as a person being disregarded and instead used as a tool, he unconsciously does something similar with Iphigenia. To him, she initially has no identity. Throughout the play, before the end, several characters interact with each other, but Achilles and Iphigenia aren’t one of these pairs. He hasn’t spoken to her, he doesn’t know her. To him, there is no “Iphigenia the person” there is “Iphigenia the tool in the plan”. He only knows her in the capacity of a passive object, and in this imagery there isn’t enough in Iphigenia to be a motivator for Achilles any more than his wounded honor is. Even when he talks about the sacrifice, Achilles talks about how it affects him “never shall your daughter, after being once called my bride, die by her father's hand; for I will not lend myself to your husband's subtle tricks; no! for it will be my name that kills your child, although it does not wield the sword”. Even when it comes to Iphigenia, Achilles seems to be motivated primarily by himself. Iphigenia is almost like a footnote, just a motivating object of his narrative.

In contrast, when Iphigenia refers to Achilles, she is seeing him as a person. More specifically, she sees him as a potential fiancé, even after she knows about the deception, so much so that she refers to the plan as “our marriage.” One could perhaps say that Iphigenia also doesn’t attribute an identity to him, since she sees him only in the role of this scenario (i.e., fiancé) in the same way that Achilles saw her as “bride”, but I don’t think that’s the case. She is embarrassed by the possibility of seeing Achilles, and why would she be embarrassed if it weren’t because she fears his reaction? And for Iphigenia to fear Achilles’ reaction to the discovery that Iphigenia genuinely thought they were going to get married is because she considered him enough of a person to assume that he might have conflicting feelings about the situation. Iphigenia could have just thought “he was deceived too” and that was that, but implicitly she also thought about how the deception would affect him:

Iphigenia calling into the tent. [1340] Open the tent-door to me, servants, that I may hide myself Clytemnestra Why seek to escape, my child? Iphigenia I am ashamed to face Achilles. Clytemnestra But why? Iphigenia The luckless ending to our marriage causes me to feel abashed.

At the end of the play, however, Iphigenia subverts the passive position imposed upon her. She accepts being sacrificed and, in a way, does so in an attempt to regain her agency. Rather than it being something that was done to her, it’s something that she did. Speaking about her decision, she says:

Iphigenia Mother, hear me while I speak, for I see that you are angry with your husband [1370] to no purpose; it is hard for us to persist in impossibilities. Our thanks are due to this stranger for his ready help; but you must also see to it that he is not reproached by the army, leaving us no better off and himself involved in trouble. Listen, mother; hear what thoughts have passed across my mind. [1375] I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean. Towards this now, mother turn your thoughts, and with me weigh how well I speak; to me the whole of mighty Hellas looks; on me the passage over the sea depends; on me the sack of Troy; [1380] and in my power it lies to check henceforth barbarian raids on happy Hellas, if ever in the days to come they seek to seize her women, when once they have atoned by death for the violation of Helen's marriage by Paris. All this deliverance will my death insure, and my fame for setting Hellas free will be a happy one. [1385] Besides, I have no right at all to cling too fondly to my life; for you did not bear me for myself alone, but as a public blessing to all Hellas. What! shall countless warriors, armed with shields, those myriads sitting at the oar, find courage to attack the foe and die for Hellas, because their fatherland is wronged, [1390] and my one life prevent all this? What kind of justice is that? could I find a word in answer? Now let us turn to that other point. It is not right that this man should enter into battle with all Argos or be slain for a woman's sake. Better a single man should see the light than ten thousand women. [1395] If Artemis has decided to take my body, am I, a mortal, to thwart the goddess? no, that is impossible. I give my body to Hellas; sacrifice it and make an utter end of Troy. This is my enduring monument; marriage, motherhood, and fame—all these is it to me. [1400] And it is right, mother, that Hellenes should rule barbarians, but not barbarians Hellenes, those being slaves, while these are free.

So Iphigenia is actively trying to gain an active role — I am resolved to die; and this I want to do with honor, dismissing from me what is mean“. She doesn’t want to be Iphigenia, the object, she wants to be Iphigenia, a person with an identity. In the same way that soldiers are motivated to fight out of pride in their Greek identity, Iphigenia is motivated to sacrifice herself out of pride in her Greek identity — “and my fame for setting Hellas free will be a happy one“. Not only that, but her action is motivated by glory to some extent, in a similar way to how Achilles himself is motivated — “I give my body to Hellas; sacrifice it and make an utter end of Troy. This is my enduring monument; marriage, motherhood, and fame—all these is it to me“. In the same way that Achilles will have his identity immortalized, so will Iphigenia, and she knows this when she says “to me the whole of mighty Hellas looks; on me the passage over the sea depends; on me the sack of Troy”. By equating her voluntary sacrifice with the sacrifice of soldiers who are willing to die in the field, Iphigenia regains her autonomy by getting closer to their imaginary. Indirectly, Iphigenia secures her identity in a way that makes her close to Achilles, since, after all, he also accepted death.

And it’s in this identification that Achilles begins to see that Iphigenia isn’t just someone he needs to protect, but someone who has desires of her own. Desires that he admires, in fact. He didn’t admire her before because, before, Achilles didn’t know her…but now that he feels he knows her, he thinks she is worthy of it. Iphigenia, then, takes on a humanized role in his mind:

Achilles Daughter of Agamemnon! some god was bent [1405] on blessing me, if I could have won you for my wife. In you I consider Hellas happy, and you in Hellas; for this that you have said is good and worthy of your fatherland; since you, abandonIng a strife with heavenly powers, which are too strong for you, have fairly weighed advantages and needs. [1410] But now that I have looked into your noble nature, I feel still more a fond desire to win you for my bride. Look to it; for I want to serve you and receive you in my halls; and, Thetis be my witness, how I grieve to think I shall not save your life by doing battle with the Danaids. [1415] Reflect, I say; a dreadful ill is death. Iphigenia This I say, without regard to anyone. Enough that the daughter of Tyndareus is causing wars and bloodshed by her beauty; then be not slain yourself, stranger, nor seek to slay another on my account; [1420] but let me, if I can, save Hellas. Achilles Heroic spirit! I can say no more to this, since you are so minded; for yours is a noble resolve; why should not one speak the truth? Yet I will speak, for you will perhaps change your mind; [1425] [that you may know then what my offer is,] I will go and place these arms of mine near the altar, resolved not to permit your death but to prevent; for brave as you are at sight of the knife held at your throat, you will soon avail yourself of what I said. [1430] So I will not let you perish through any thoughtlessness of yours, but will go to the goddess with these arms and await your arrival there. Exit Achilles.

Achilles describes her as someone who has a “noble nature” and a “heroic spirit,” thus acknowledging Iphigenia’s autonomy. For Achilles, Iphigenia is “noble” and “heroic” because she chooses to sacrifice herself for the sake of the Greeks, something that requires courage from her, and if there is anything Achilles admires, it’s this. She takes an action worthy of recognition. Iphigenia is no longer passive, she is active, and Achilles’ attitude changes to match. Throughout the play, whenever he talks about saving Iphigenia, he negotiates this with Clytemnestra. Before Iphigenia declares that she will be sacrificed, Achilles is actually talking to Clytemnestra and in fact doesn’t even address Iphigenia directly, even though she is there. After her declaration, however, even though Clytemnestra was present and disapproved of Iphigenia's thinking, Achilles addresses Iphigenia (and not Clytemnestra) directly, and although he tries to convince her to give up (claiming that he would try to protect her), he still respects her decision. In fact, he puts the decision in her hands by saying that he will wait for Iphigenia to decide whether or not she wants him to intervene. Thus, Achilles acknowledges Iphigenia as not only someone with an identity, but someone with desires that he cannot override [note: I obviously don’t think that Clytemnestra's disapproval of this is the same as her overriding Iphigenia's desires. Since Achilles isn’t intimate with Iphigenia, it’s certainly much easier for him to accept her decision to die than it is for Clytemnestra, the mother who loves her immensely. But Clytemnestra's taking revenge, however, was overriding what Iphigenia would want].

Of course, one could argue that Achilles accepts Iphigenia's decision because her being sacrificed is to his advantage, as it will allow him to go to Troy. But I disagree. After all, he literally offers to try to prevent this, if Iphigenia so desires. He is willing to go against the will of a goddess, Artemis, and the entire army (as Achilles makes it clear that they tried to stone him for speaking in favor of Clytemnestra and Iphigenia) if Iphigenia wants, and indirectly, he is willing to delay his achievement of glory (since the sacrifice is necessary for him to go to Troy). In fact, Achilles explicitly states that he has come to be seen as someone who is enslaved by marriage. In other words, his reputation has been damaged and he has been viewed in a pejorative manner, but that still doesn’t stop him from offering Iphigenia the option of rebelling against the will of the majority:

Clytemnestra In danger of what, stranger?. Achilles [1350] Of being stoned. Clytemnestra Surely not for trying to save my daughter? Achilles The very reason. Clytemnestra Who would have dared to lay a finger on you? Achilles All the men of Hellas. Clytemnestra Were not your Myrmidon warriors at your side? Achilles They were the first who turned against me. Clytemnestra My child! we are lost, it seems. Achilles They taunted me as the man whom marriage had enslaved. Clytemnestra And what did you answer them? Achilles [1355] Not to kill the one I meant to wed— Clytemnestra Justly so. Achilles The wife her father promised me. Clytemnestra Yes, and sent to fetch from Argos. Achilles But I was overcome by clamorous cries. Clytemnestra Truly the mob is a dire mischief. Achilles But I will help you for all that. Clytemnestra Will you really fight them single-handed? Achilles Do you see these warriors here, carrying my arms? Clytemnestra Bless you for your kind intent! Achilles [1360] Well, I shall be blessed.

Even Achilles’ marriage proposal is different. Previously, he had constantly thought of Iphigenia as a “bride” and had taken the marriage for granted if he could handle the situation. And since Achilles hadn’t even met Iphigenia at the time, his motivation for the marriage wasn’t her per se, but rather to reverse the plan into which he had been unwillingly included. And how can a false marriage be reversed if not by making it genuine? In a way, marrying Iphigenia would also be placing himself as responsible for her, in the ancient view of husbands as responsible for their wives. In this sense, Iphigenia was once again passive. But after her declaration, Achilles, instead of taking the marriage for granted, proposes to her. He leaves the decision to marry Iphigenia up to her—“Reflect, I say; a dreadful ill is death”— and if she doesn’t want it, he will accept. And now he desires Iphigenia as his wife in a genuine way because he recognized in her someone with an admirable personality— “But now that I have looked into your noble nature, I feel still more a fond desire to win you for my bride”. Achilles no longer wants “Iphigenia, a passive object” that he needs to protect if he wants to protect his honor, he wants “Iphigenia, a person with an identity and an active one” because he thinks that having a wife like her would be a blessing — “some god was bent [1405] on blessing me, if I could have won you for my wife”. Achilles even talks about a possible marriage as he serves her in “Look to it; for I want to serve you and receive you in my halls”. She is no longer a symbol of his wounded honor, she is a symbol of glory and if there is one thing young Achilles desires it is glory. She's not a part of the scenery, she's a character.

But Iphigenia chooses to sacrifice herself and Achilles clearly doesn’t contradict her on, as a Messenger actually makes it quite clear that Achilles had an active role in the sacrifice as he spread the water and referred directly to Artemis:

Messenger [1540] Dear mistress, you shall learn all clearly; from the outset will I tell it, unless my memory fails me somewhat and confuses my tongue in its account. As soon as we reached the grove of Artemis, the child of Zeus, and the flowery meadows, [1545] where the Achaean troops were gathered, bringing your daughter with us, at once the Argive army began assembling; but when king Agamemnon saw the maiden on her way to the grove to be sacrificed, he gave one groan, and, turning away his face, let the tears burst [1550] from his eyes, as he held his robe before them. But the maid, standing close by her father, spoke thus: “O my father, here I am; willingly I offer my body for my country and all Hellas, [1555] that you may lead me to the altar of the goddess and sacrifice me, since this is Heaven's ordinance. May good luck be yours for any help that I afford! and may you obtain the victor's gift and come again to the land of your fathers. So then let none of the Argives lay hands on me, [1560] for I will bravely yield my neck without a word.” She spoke; and each man marvelled, as he heard the maiden's brave speech. But in the midst Talthybius stood up, for this was his duty, and bade the army refrain from word or deed; [1565] and Calchas, the seer, drawing a sharp sword from its scabbard laid it in a basket of beaten gold, and crowned the maiden's head. Then the son of Peleus, taking the basket and with it lustral water in his hand, ran round the altar of the goddess [1570] uttering these words: “O Artemis, you child of Zeus, slayer of wild beasts, that wheel your dazzling light amid the gloom, accept this sacrifice which we, the army of the Achaeans and Agamemnon with us, offer to you, pure blood from a beautiful maiden's neck; [1575] and grant us safe sailing for our ships and the sack of Troy's towers by our spears.” Meanwhile the sons of Atreus and all the army stood looking on the ground.

[But the priest, seizing his knife, offered up a prayer and was closely scanning the maiden's throat to see where he should strike. [1580] It was no slight sorrow filled my heart, as I stood by with bowed head; when there was a sudden miracle! Each one of us distinctly heard the sound of a blow, but none saw the spot where the maiden vanished. The priest cried out, and all the army took up the cry [1585] at the sight of a marvel all unlooked for, due to some god's agency, and passing all belief, although it was seen; for there upon the ground lay a deer of immense size, magnificent to see, gasping out her life, with whose blood the altar of the goddess was thoroughly bedewed. [1590] Then spoke Calchas thus—his joy you can imagine—“You captains of this leagued Achaean army, do you see this victim, which the goddess has set before her altar, a mountain-roaming deer? This is more welcome to her by far than the maid, [1595] that she may not defile her altar by shedding noble blood. Gladlyshe has accepted it, and is granting us a prosperous voyage for our attack on Ilium. Therefore take heart, sailors, each man of you, and away to your ships, for today [1600] we must leave the hollow bays of Aulis and cross the Aegean main.” Then, when the sacrifice was wholly burnt to ashes in the blazing flame, he offered such prayers as were fitting, that the army might win return; but Agamemnon sends me to tell you this, [1605] and say what heaven-sent luck is his, and how he has secured undying fame throughout the length of Hellas. Now I was there myself and speak as an eyewitness; without a doubt your child flew away to the gods. A truce then to your sorrowing, and cease to be angry with your husband; [1610] for the gods' ways with man are not what we expect, and those whom they love, they keep safe; yes, for this day has seen your daughter dead and living.

Thus, I genuinely think that Achilles' change in thinking in relation to Iphigenia follows her characterization in the narrative, which changes from passive to active, from a narrative motif to a structured character. This post is, of course, purely my own interpretation, but I feel like Iphigenia is rather unfortunately ignored among the interactions/relationships Achilles has and I don't understand why. I think it's important! Not only is Iphigenia important to Achilles' character, but Achilles is also a narrative element in Iphigenia's character.

[babyrdie]

You opened my eyes to the potential of Iphigenia Achilles dynamic

Oh, this is good! They are SO underrated as a dynamic!

They were both teenagers who cared immensely for their family (in Iphigenia's case, see how eager she is to see Agamemnon, how she wants to play with Orestes, how she tries to reassure Clytemnestra and tell her to not have revenge. In Achilles' case, the play literally describes the Myrmidons' ships as having Nereids, he repeatedly boasts about Peleus and Thetis and associates his identity with them. He says he is "no son of Peleus" and, when taking an oath, swears by Thetis' lineage). In the lost play Skyrians also by Euripides, Odysseus even manipulates Achilles by claiming that he will bring shame to Peleus, so Achilles' choice to leave Deidamia, at least in Euripides, was partly motivated by how it would affect his family's reputation. Likewise, Iphigenia was worried about how this would affect her parents as she warns Clytemnestra not to get too angry with Agamemnon.

They both accepted death, in a way. Achilles already knew he was going to die in Troy when he decided to leave, he chose to die. Iphigenia's case is worse in the sense that Achilles could live, but I don't think Iphigenia could live. I just think she could control the narrative of how she dies, but she couldn't actually escape death (in theory, she escapes death with Iphigenia in Tauris, but I'm talking from her perspective, who thought she was actually going to die). And in both cases, someone offered them the chance to live/attempet to live a more peaceful life. For Achilles, he had the chance to be with Deidamia in a domestic life, but he refused (Euripides' lost play Skyrians deals with this subject. So Euripides already knew about it). For Iphigenia, she had the chance to obtain marriage (although again, I don't think she had the chance to live the domestic life that Achilles had with Deidamia), but she refused. Achilles can understand that Iphigenia sees giving up her life as a glorious and devoted act, for in the end he did the same. He can understand Iphigenia declaring how she will gain fame through this, isn't it Achilles who agreed to die in order to be immortalized in the memory? For him, Iphigenia's act is not much different from what he and his companions are doing in terms of admiration.

Furthermore, in both Euripides' version and Lycophron's version, Achilles does for Iphigenia what he didn't do for Deidamia, when you think about it. Between Deidamia and glory, he chose glory. But in Euripides, he offers Iphigenia the option of continuing to resist, which wouldn't only hurt Achilles' reputation (the same reputation that made him give up his life with Deidamia and Neoptolemus, if he wanted to preserve it) but would potentially impede his archivement of glory (because they would be trapped in Aulis). And in Lycophron, he temporarily abandons the army to seek out Iphigenia, who in this version is actually his lover (in Euripides, they aren't lovers). So whether in the version where they're allies or in the version where they're lovers, Achilles considered Iphigenia to be someone worth risking something he holds dear. He didn't see her as a means to the end, but as someone.

For many in the army, the sacrifice wasn't about Iphigenia. But for Achilles, it really was about Iphigenia, just as it was for Agamemnon and Clytemnestra (but in different ways. And while it was always about Iphigenia for Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, for Achilles it only became about Iphigenia later since initially he wasn't really seeing her).

It's also interesting how Iphigenia seems to think about Achilles in Iphigenia in Tauris! At one point, she says about Agamemnon:

Iphigenia [...] Ah me!—I cannot forget those past evils—how often did I stroke my father’s cheek and, hanging on his knees, told him: O father, I am brought to a shameful betrothal by you; but while you are killing me, my mother and the Argive women are singing wedding hymns, and the whole house is filled with the music of flutes; but I am being destroyed by you. For Achilles was Hades after all, not the son of Peleus, whom you held out to me as a husband, and you brought me in a chariot to a bloody wedding by treachery. But I was modestly looking out through a fine veil, and did not take up my brother in my arms—and now he is dead—did not kiss my sister, because I was going to the house of Peleus; I put off many embraces to another time, thinking that I would come back again to Argos. [...]

Robert Potter translation.

She doesn't seem to blame Achilles here, but rather Agamemnon (not in a vengeful way, just that he was the one who planned it), so perhaps Euripides is sticking to the version presented in Iphigenia in Aulis, in which Achilles really didn't know anything. And when Iphigenia describes how she was about to get married, she seemed to be looking forward to it. She was a girl raised in Ancient Greece, it wouldn't be strange if she had been raised with the idea that marriage was supposed to be a very important moment in the transition from girl to woman. It wasn't even about Achilles, it was about her taking such an important step in the society of the time. And yet, that was taken away from her because Achilles wasn't the son of Peleus, but Hades. She wasn't betrothed to Achilles, she was betrothed to Death. Which is interesting, because there was a perception of life-death representing a transition in a way comparable to the unmarried girl-married woman transition, which is particularly notable in the Hymn to Demeter, but there are other cases (e.g. Antigone and Cassandra). So in theory, it is as if Iphigenia had exchanged one transition (marriage) for another (life-death). Also, Achilles, in Iphigenia in Aulis, is offended at having his autonomy disregarded and complains that they act as if he weren't the son of Peleus…and in Iphigenia in Tauris, Iphigenia claims that he wasn't the son of Peleus, but Hades. Thus, in Iphigenia in Tauris, Iphigenia confirms exactly that what Achilles didn't want happened: in this whole scenario, he was no longer himself, he was an empty name used as a scheme.

In contrast to the way Iphigenia doesn't seem to blame Achilles in the Agamemnon passage, later, she says "O brother, when I was brought, not a bride, to the treacherous bed of Achilles", which to me seems to confer some degree of autonomy on Achilles…but I'm not sure. Considering that Euripides writes different versions of the same myth and not necessarily all of his plays are connected, I wouldn't find it impossible that Achilles wasn't at fault in Iphigenia in Aulis, but was at fault in Iphigenia in Tauris. The way she interacts with Orestes also leaves me in doubt about Achilles' autonomy in the plan:

Iphigenia Have the Achaeans returned, as reported? Orestes How you put everything together and ask me all at once! Iphigenia Before you die, I want to profit by your answers. Orestes Question me, since you desire this; I will tell you. Iphigenia Has a certain Calchas, a prophet, come back from Troy? Orestes He is dead, as the story goes in Mycenae. Iphigenia O goddess, how good that is! What about Odysseus? Orestes He has not yet returned, but is alive, they say. Iphigenia May he die and never achieve a return to his country! Orestes Do not pray against that man; all is misery for him. Iphigenia But is the son of Thetis the Nereid still alive? Orestes He is not; his marriage at Aulis was in vain. Iphigenia Yes, for it was a cheat, as those who experienced it know.

Also, it's interesting how Iphigenia is bitter towards Odysseus. She accepted death, yes, but like I said…it was to control the narrative. The fact that she holds a grudge just shows how, if she REALLY had the choice, she wouldn't die. It is precisely because she wanted to live that the decision to die required courage. Isn't sacrifice precious because it gives up something precious? Agamemnon gave up Iphigenia, precious in his eyes. And Iphigenia gave up herself. Likewise Achilles, in The Odyssey, tells Odysseus about how he didn't really want to be dead, although in The Iliad he makes it clear that the decision to die was his and he was aware of it (again, the scenario isn't entirely comparable to Iphigenia because she had less freedom than he did in this choice).

The way she speaks of Agamemnon and Achilles, however, is more ambiguous. Iphigenia seems to fluctuate between acknowledging that they're responsible while also showing that she isn't actually entirely angry/bitter towards them. Anyway, I find the dynamic in Iphigenia in Aulis (where Achilles was unaware of the plan) more interesting simply because it creates greater identification with Iphigenia's final action, but if we consider the possibility that he was aware of the plan, I think there is still potential on Iphigenia's part. Because she saw in Achilles as a possibility of female growth in society (marriage), but he took that away from her. He offered her hope while also taking that hope away. When Achilles offers himself to her, he takes her to Hades in the same way he would later take many others (who doesn't remember the opening of The Iliad, right?). In the image of a husband, Achilles is someone she can care about, but as the image of Death, Achilles is someone she feels bitter towards. She accepts, but the embrace of Death is still so cold. It's all so confusing and she's isolated in Tauris being forced to do what she doesn't want to do, Iphigenia has to stay resilient. And she does, because it's thanks to her that the plan to escape with Pylades and Orestes works. I can't help but wonder…in all these years, what has she thought?

Also, Iphigenia in Iphigenia in Tauris talks about how Clytemnestra gave birth to and raised a child destined for death ("[...] from the beginning the Fates attendant on my birth directed a hard uubringing for me, wooed by Hellenes, the first-born child in the home whom the unhappy daughter of Leda, by my father’s fault, bore as a victim and a sacrifice not joyful, she brought me up as an offering [...]). Thetis and Achilles dynamic, anyone? The way in The Iliad he laments that he would rather not exist because then Thetis wouldn't suffer? Promised to a person cursed by Fate, Iphigenia really was cursed. Even if she miraculously managed to get married with Achilles and stay alive, she would be a widow and probably childless too (because, if we don't consider Lycophron, then Iphigenia wouldn't have time to get pregnant). Likeeeeeee what if I, doomed by Fate, were to join you in matrimony, a person destined to cause grief to the point that your name signifies it? What if you were not the son of Peleus, what if you were Hades? We were both promised to Death, now we are promised to each other. We will both die, but our names will never die because Hellas is looking at us.

The dynamic in Lycophron also has potential because it's an interesting parallel to Achilles-Deidamia in the more common tradition and shows that someone was willing to search for Iphigenia, but chronologically it sounds very confusing (how did Iphigenia get pregnant and give birth to Neoptolemus and then "die"? And Achilles spending years absent from the war…). Although, to be fair, I still find that line comparing Iphigenia's act of sacrificing a person in Tauris to Neoptolemus sacrificing Polyxena… quite ironic, since Polyxena is basically the Trojan Iphigenia. Neoptolemus, in theory, is chasing the ghost of his father to the point of agreeing to sacrifice a person and at the same time is trapped in the ghost of his mother by doing to that person what was done to her. As a family, they're so intrinsically linked with death. Born of a cursed marriage, how could Neoptolemus not be cursed too? His parents married in a bloody marriage, Neoptolemus is also a child stained with blood.

It doesn't have to be about romance, and I actually prefer the version where Iphigenia and Achilles aren't lovers (i.e. not Alexandra's version and not Antoninus Liberalis' version) because I think it fits better with Iphigenia remaining a virgin and unmarried. But it's still a cool dynamic.

[babyrdie]

Any Sacrificial Couple™ fanart?

I had an incomplete drawing when you sent me this, so I had to wait until I finished it before I could answer you!

Face closeup!

It's probably the last drawing I'll do for months lol. Seriously, i kind of tried something new in the sense that i wanted to try to play with "excesses" since usually i find that i use simple visual elements and my god…it's really excessive and the process becomes more complex. I think this is also the drawing where I had to think the most about compositions and colors, compared to the others…because, in the others, the colors were purely aesthetic, but this time they were purposefully chosen to mean something. There are a lot of attempts at visual nods here…some very obvious, some more subtle. Some that probably could have been worked in a better way too. But I really like the colors! Not to be arrogant, but I would actually use this as a matching icon if I had someone to use it with lol

I'll spare you guys a long explanatory text of the process, I suppose if someone is really interested the ask button is always available.

[babyrdie]

By the way, about the three recents Iphigenia/Achilles dynamic posts, I have to say that I said I prefere them not to have a child (like in Alexandra) or get married in the afterlife (like in Antoninus Liberalis), but that is because of the character of Iphigenia. For the character of Iphigenia, I think it's a more interesting theme that she remains a virgin and not married because of the greater identification with Artemis and etc etc. BUT I totally think Achilles had a crush on her. Maybe Iphigenia also had a crush on him, but I honestly think Achilles had a much bigger crush. Sorry not sorry. That boy looked so fucking in love, it's crazy that he was willing to give up glory for her. ACHILLES, the "I need to have my glory" guy. He didn't even know he was getting married, but my gods if he doesn't want to get married now!

Just pointing this out here because if I ever post more about Iphigenia, it will probably be other aspects/relationships of her unless I somehow find more content to comment on how cursed these two are. So just concluding my thoughts here.

Deidamia, Patroclus, Iphigenia, Penthesilea, Medea…Achilles, your potential romance dynamics are insane!!! Iphigenia, you don't have many lovers attributed, but girl, you managed to be iconic in your doomed marriage in the few times you had to do it!

[babyrdie]

I know this isn't supposed to be funny, but I actually find it funny how in Lycophron's Alexandra Neoptolemus' mother is Iphigenia and at one point Cassandra (she's the one narrating the poem) is talking about Polyxena's sacrifice and she's like Neoptolemus, who sacrifices people like his mother. Like, seriously, the guy already takes after his father's destructive side! Is he going to take after his mother's destructive side too??? Obviously Cassandra says this in a much more cryptic way, but the general idea is this: Neoptolemus will cruelly sacrifice Polyxena in the same way his mother, Iphigenia, sacrifices people in Tauris.

Like, in A.W. Mair translation:

And thee to cruel bridal and marriage sacrifice the sullen lion, child of Iphis, shall lead, imitating his dark mother’s lustrations; over the deep pail the dread butcherly dragon shall cut thy throat, as it were a garlanded heifer, and slay thee with the thrice-descended sword of Candaon, shedding for the wolves the blood of the first oath-sacrifice.

And then I remember how Polyxena's sacrifice is a request from Achilles and, like, my god, what a messed up family this is (here it isn't said that Achilles asked, but it's usually a request from him, so I'm considering it). Iphigenia is a pro at sacrificing people at this point, Neoptolemus takes after his mama, and Achilles is asking his son to sacrifice a woman. This Achilles is actually different from the more traditional version of Achilles because Lycophron subverts a lot in this poem, so it's unlikely he resembles Homeric Achilles much, but it also reminds me of how Homeric Achilles himself sacrificed random people at Patroclus's funeral (I say random because they had no connection with Patroclus' death. They're just random Trojans).

They're indeed a potentially disturbing family, which must be why fate separated them in this poem (Achilles spent years searching for Iphigenia, but didn't find her. He later died and is said to have married Medea in the afterlife. As for Neoptolemus, he never met either of his parents from what I understand).

Anyway, Neoptolemus doesn't have his mother's eyes, hair, or smile. He does have her hands skilled in sacrificing. That's… certainly something.

[babyrdie]

Go ahead explain the drawing process!

Anon is talking about this.

Well, first I thought of the line said by Iphigenia in Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis about the bridegroom not being Achilles, but Death. So I had decided that whatever I was going to draw would have both marriage and death themes.

Now, let’s move on to the position. I decided to draw them in a pose that resembles a bride carrying to convey the matrimonial aspect, but with the difference that Achilles would be calmly placing her on an altar, thus indicating that the marriage was actually a pretext for Iphigenia’s sacrifice. I wanted Iphigenia to look straight ahead, as if she were facing the audience. After all, in Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis she spoke about how everyone would be looking at her, and I wanted to maintain the idea that Iphigenia would be seen. I kept one of her arms simply hanging down to show that, at this point, Iphigenia was no longer offering resistance, again inspired by Iphigenia in Aulis. I tried to give Achilles a face that could be both neutral and sympathetic, in the hope of capturing both the version in which he was unaware of the plan and the version in which he was possibly aware. As for Iphigenia, I wanted to give her a smile, as if she were trying to comfort her family (who, in this case, would be part of the audience, whom Iphigenia is looking directly at). I gave Achilles black wings because I wanted to bring him closer to the Greek god of death Thanatos, who was often depicted as winged and I remember that in Euripides’ Alcestis, he is associated with the color black as a symbol of mourning. When I decided to give Achilles the wings, I wanted, in the positioning of the characters, one of Achilles’ wings to appear to cover Iphigenia as if representing death embracing her. But I wanted the other wing to still be distant, as a nod to the idea that Iphigenia won’t literally die, in reference to the versions of the myth in which the goddess Artemis saves her. She is, however, still symbolically dead, so she is half-covered.

Now, thinking about the clothes. Achilles is wearing his first armor, the one that belonged to Peleus, because I was thinking about how in Iphigenia in Aulis he had to confront the army. Iphigenia is dressed like a bride, so I made her very jeweled and she has a flower crown and a veil. The look is clearly Mycenaean, though, and I didn’t know how specifically a bride would have dressed in Mycenaean times, so I just used a typical Mycenaean dress. The color of the veil is red because it’s said that brides wore veils of that color (but not necessarily only that color) and because, because of the fallen position of Iphigenia's head, the veil would fall off the altar and I wanted that to be intentional to refer to blood being shed. So the veil would represent the joy of the wedding, but the bloody aspect of this particular wedding. Scenes of sacrifice, however, are usually focused on the neck, and so I wanted to have some element on Iphigenia's neck, and I chose to include necklaces, one of them being red to sort of refer to a courtship in the region. In Greek texts, the loss of virginity is repeatedly associated with a "virginal girdle" (I think it's called a zone) and there is also an association of a virgin girl with a married woman, so I decided to draw Iphigenia's girdle already untied simply to refer to the marriage (which would normally result in her having the "virginal girdle" removed), but still covering her because, again, since the marriage didn’t really take place, Iphigenia isn’t actually a married woman yet and remains a virgin girl. I admit that the crown was inspired by Bacchylides’ poem “Theseus,” in which Theseus is depicted wearing a crown of roses, and I’ve seen this interpreted as symbolizing him as Ariadne’s groom since her interest in marrying him is essential to the success of his mission, roses being associated with the goddess of love Aphrodite and flowers being a common element in erotic poems. The initial reference for the look of Iphigenia was the description of the bride Pandora in Hesiod’s Theogony, especially considering that Pandora’s marriage, in a way, also carries a tragedy. I, however, decided against going with the idea of ​​making them the same colors as Pandora (silver for the dress) because the Mycenaean period is quite colorful.

For the setting, the floor is this color simply to allude to the sand of the port of Aulis, after all it’s precisely the idea of ​​the port (from where ships depart...) that is linked to the purpose of sacrifice (so that the Achaeans can leave for Troy). The altar has a scene imitating a real sarcophagus that has the sacrifice of Polyxena, in order to allude to the similarity between the two myths, with Iphigenia marking the bloodshed even before the war begins and Polyxena marking the bloodshed even after it ends. Although Polyxena and Iphigenia are always parallels, I was thinking specifically of Euripides' Hecuba since the play is quite similar to Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis (or, in this case, Iphigenia in Aulis is similar to Hecuba). The sky is divided between night and day, with night being more on Achilles' side and day being more on Iphigenia's side. By this I simply wanted to convey the idea of ​​transition because of the aspect of Iphigenia seeking to transition from girl to woman, but actually transitioning from living to dead (a theme known as “bride of death”, most notably represented by the Hymn to Demeter).

As for the colors…well, Achilles has typical Mycenaean armor colors, nothing special there. Only the wings being black, as already explained, were because of black as a color of mourning. The green of Iphigenia's dress is a nod to Artemis and the pink is so that she and Achilles would have a harmonious palette (he in red, she in pink) and her white is the typical sign of purity. Achilles has some green mixed into his hair as well to harmonize with Iphigenia's green. Iphigenia's eyes have a moon and deer, again because of Artemis and because of the imminent replacement.