Heracles and Other Plays

Heracles/ Iphigenia Among the Taurians/ Helen/ Ion/ Cyclops: Of these plays, only 'Heracles' truly belongs in the tragic sphere with its presentation of underserved suffering and divine malignity. The other plays flirt with comedy and comic themes. Their plots are ironic and complex with deception and elusion eventually leading to reconciliation between mother and son in 'Ion', brother and sister in 'Iphigenia', and husband and wife in 'Helen'. The comic vein is even stronger in the satyric'Cyclops' in which the giant's inebriation and subsequent violence are treated as humorous. Together, these plays demonstrate Euripides' challenge to the generic boundaries of Athenian drama.

Heracles and Other PlaysGeneral Introduction
Chronological Table
Note on the Text
Translator's Note
Preface to HeraclesHeracles
Preface to Iphigenia among the Taurians
Iphigenia Among the Taurians
Preface to Ion
Ion
Preface to Helen
Helen
Preface to Cyclops
Cyclops
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary of Mythological and Geographical Names