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Iphigenia

From N.S. Gill's Ancient/Classical History Glossary, for About.com

Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Illioupersis Painter.

Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Illioupersis Painter.

Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia
Definition: In Greek mythology, the story of the sacrifice of Iphigenia is one of the brave and tragic tales about the House of Atreus.

Iphigenia is usually called the daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Agamemnon had angered the goddess Artemis. In order to propitiate the goddess, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia at Aulis where the Achaean fleet was impatiently waiting for a wind to cross over to Troy. In order to trick Iphigenia into coming, Agamemnon sent word to Clytemnestra that Iphigenia was to marry Achilles, so Clytemnestra willingly brought her daughter to the wedding/sacrifice. Iphigenia, sometimes portrayed as brave enough to impress Achilles, realized her self-sacrifice was what the Greeks needed.

In some versions of the story, Artemis saves Iphigenia at the last minute.

In revenge for the trickery and killing of their daughter Iphigenia, Clytemnestra killed her husband when he returned from the Trojan War.

Alternate Spellings: Iphigeneia
Examples:
Timothy Gantz writes an alternative version of the story of Iphigenia's parentage. He writes that Pausanias says Stesichorus says that after Theseus' abduction of Helen, Helen gave birth to Iphigenia. (191 Poetae Melici Graeci)

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