Iphigenia

Iphigenia

rescued at the moment of her sacrificial stabbing. [Gk. Myth.: Gayley, 80–81]

See: Rescue

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Iphigenia

slain to appease Artemis’ wrath. [Gk. Myth.: Walsh Classical, 156]

See: Sacrifice

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Iphigenia

 

in ancient Greek mythology, the daughter of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae (or Argos). Agamemnon offered Iphigenia as a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis to ensure the safe sailing of the Greek forces headed for Troy. However, the goddess substituted a deer on the altar for the king’s daughter. She transported Iphigenia from Aulis (a harbor in Boeotia) to Tauris (Crimea). In Tauris, Iphigenia served as Artemis’ priestess.

The myth of Iphigenia is the subject of several tragedies, including Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis and Iphigenia in Tauris, Racine’s Iphigenia, Goethe’s Iphigenia in Tauris, and Haupt-mann’s Iphigenia in Aulis and Iphigenia at Delphi Several operashave been devoted to Iphigenia, for example, Gluck’s Iphigeniain Aulis and Iphigenia in Tauris. [11–-155-1]

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.