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Iphigenia

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra sacrificed by her father at Aulis to appease Artemis and gain favorable winds for the Greek fleet sailing to Troy.

Detailed Definition
Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon who was sacrificed (or, in some versions, saved at the last moment) to allow the Greek fleet to sail to Troy. Her story, dramatized by Aeschylus, Euripides, and others, epitomizes the conflict between duty and familial love, and the cost of war. Poets invoke Iphigenia to explore themes of innocence, sacrifice, and the cruelty of fate or divine will.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, the chorus sings of Iphigenia’s sacrifice: “Her saffron robe trailed on the ground”; Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis opens with Agamemnon’s anguish: “I write to recall my daughter—then tear the letter up”; Goethe’s Iphigenie auf Tauris presents her as a model of mercy and reason; In Racine’s Iphigénie, she says, “If my death can save Greece, I offer it willingly”; T.S. Eliot alludes to Iphigenia’s “innocent blood” in “The Waste Land” as a symbol of sacrificial purity; The myth appears in Ovid’s Metamorphoses as an example of divine cruelty and human obedience.
Additional Notes
Iphigenia’s sacrifice by her father Agamemnon to appease Artemis is a foundational myth of tragic conflict between family and duty. Versions differ: Aeschylus implies she dies; Euripides (in “Iphigenia at Aulis” and “Iphigenia in Tauris”) often spares her, substituting a deer. This ambiguity makes her a powerful symbol of innocence, victimhood, and divine cruelty. Poets use her to explore gender, sacrifice, and the cost of war. In “The Waste Land,” Eliot pairs her with Philomela as voices of violated femininity. Students should compare treatments across genres: tragedy, opera (Gluck), and modern drama. Related concepts: pharmakos (scapegoat), ritual sacrifice, tragic choice.
Also Known As
Daughter of Agamemnon Sacrificial Maiden Priestess of Artemis Iphigeneia
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