Great Books Ep 92. Euripides - Iphigenia Among the Tauri. Statue from the Sky and Dreams of the Future
Thoughts about Artemis' statue falling from the sky, do all people see visions about future in dreams?
First off, apologies for being away for a month. I’ve been pretty busy after Thanksgiving. I had the goal to finish GB 5 (Plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes) in 2024, but I’ve fallen short. Hope to catch up in January and start the next book soon. I’m excited to be reading Herodotus and Thucydides.
Ever since I started reading the Great Books series, I’ve been thinking that I should visit Greece someday. Well, I’ve wanted to visit Greece since childhood, especially Patmos and Corinth. Now, my list of places to visit has gone beyond the New Testament places. I had a chance to visit the Parthenon in Nashville last month, and it was magical. It was like being transported to ancient Greece, like visiting Greece without having to visit Greece. It was good to know that Nashville is called the Athens of the South. It made me think of other places in North America that make one feel like being in Europe. Montreal and Solvang came to my mind. I went to Montreal a couple of times last year, and it always felt like I was visiting a city in France. A friend of mine visited Solvang recently, and that reminded me of our visits to Solvang in the past and the feeling of being in Europe. It is actually great to experience a place without being there.
Iphigenia Among the Tauri
But when Apollo’s coming had dispossessed Earth’s daughter, Themis, of the holy oracles, her mother raised a brood of nightly phantoms seen in dreams, telling to many a mortal wight, as he lay asleep in the darkness, what has been and yet shall be.
~ ‘Iphigenia Among the Tauri’ by Euripides (Edward P. Coleridge translation. GB5 - p. 422)
Brief Summary
Surprise! Iphigenia is alive. The string of violence that started with Clytemnestra killing her husband Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia and then their son Orestes killing his mother, was for nothing! Artemis had magically transported Iphigenia to another city-state named Tauris when she was about to be killed. She has been living here for the last decade as a priestess of Artemis, as someone who oversees the killing of foreigners, especially Greeks, who come to their land. At the beginning of the play, Iphigenia thinks of her ancestry, laments her past and is troubled by a dream that she saw of her home collapsing. Since the pillars came down, she interprets it as an omen that her brother Orestes is dead.
In the meantime, Orestes and his friend Pylades have arrived in Tauris since Apollo asked Orestes to go to Tauris to steal the statue of Artemis so that the Furies would stop pursuing him. But they are captured and brought to Iphigenia for sacrifice. Not knowing that one of them is her brother, Iphigenia questions them about news from Greece. She learns about her parent’s fate and says that she would spare one of them if they could deliver a letter to her brother in Argos. Each of them offers themselves and asks that the other has to be saved. Orestes finally insists that Pylades be saved. Pylades asks about the content of the letter in case it gets lost in transit. When Iphigenia reads the letter out loud, the siblings are reunited after exchanging personal details that only they know.
Iphigenia plans their escape. She tells Thoas, the king of Tauris, that the men that are brought to be sacrificed are polluted by matricide and need to be purified ritually in the sea. She needs to take the Artemis statue along with her for the ritual. But just as they are escaping on the ship, a messenger comes and informs Thoas about the treachery. He prepares to go after Iphigenia, but Athena appears and stops him. Athena tells him that Apollo wanted the statue to be taken to Athens. She also institutes new rituals for sacrifice. Thoas agrees and the play ends.
My Thoughts
Statue from the sky
I was surprised to see the mention of Artemis’ statue having fallen from the sky because exactly the same thing is mentioned in the Acts when Demetrius, a silversmith, riles up people against Paul since his business was floundering due to the new religion. People gather and shout - “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”.
“People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven?” (Acts 19:35)
At present times, as there are over 20 or 30 thousand man-made spacecraft orbiting the Earth, it is possible for some debris that is man-made to fall down from the sky. But five thousand years ago, it was not possible, and yet, people believed it because someone told them that it was so. The point is that some religious leaders are ardent believers and very sincere, but some are liars who deliberately mislead people.
Dreams & Visions of the Future
The quote that I mentioned at the top about Apollo replacing Themis as the god of prophecy made me wonder if prophesying and dream interpretation is possible by anyone or if it is limited to some people? In revenge for her being replaced, it says, Themis’s mother Gaia caused ordinary people to see visions while in sleep about ‘what has been and yet shall be’. But Zeus takes it away from people and gives it to Apollo.
“and Zeus smiled to see his son come straight to him, because he would keep his worship, rich in precious gifts; and he nodded his locks, promising to stop the voices heard at night, and took from mortals the divination of darkness, restoring his honours to Loxias, and to mortals their confidence in the oracles he chanted on his throne amid the throng of pilgrims.”
To quote another context from the Bible, in his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul says prophesying is greater than interpreting, and he urges everyone to prophesy. I feel that this aspect of Christianity is lost with time. It started off as a democratic religion where the common man could pray/preach but, with time, aligned with practices of other religions where praying, interpreting and prophesying got concentrated on priests or a core group of people.
I think everyone dreams, and the mind is somehow able to predict things that could happen in the future. If the LLMs, based on transformer architecture, are able to create an amazing amount of text based on just predicting the next token, can the human brain, which is much more powerful, not do better? It requires time and self-awareness to understand our dreams. I also think that other people cannot fully interpret your dreams since your dream exists in the context of your life. But still, why do people throng to fortune tellers, astrologers and other people who might not be able to know their future better than them?
AI Response to the Post
Podcast of the episode (Generated by Notebooklm)
Text Response (Gemini)
Artemis’ Statue and Divine Visions
The motif of the statue falling from the sky is indeed intriguing. It underscores the divine intervention and the supernatural elements that permeate the play. While it’s unlikely that everyone experiences prophetic dreams, the play suggests that certain individuals, particularly those connected to the divine, may possess such abilities. Iphigenia’s dream, for instance, serves as a powerful omen, guiding her actions and shaping the course of the narrative.
Themes and Symbolism
Divine Intervention and Human Agency: The play explores the tension between divine will and human agency. While the gods influence events, characters like Iphigenia and Orestes exercise their free will to navigate their destinies.
Sacrifice and Redemption: Sacrifice is a recurring theme, both literal and symbolic. The characters are forced to make difficult choices, often involving self-sacrifice. Redemption, however, is possible through divine intervention and human perseverance.
The Power of Family: Family bonds are central to the play. The love between Iphigenia and Orestes drives the plot and ultimately leads to their reunion.
The Role of Women: Iphigenia is a strong and resourceful female character who challenges traditional gender roles. She demonstrates intelligence, courage, and leadership, making her a complex and compelling figure.
Lessons for Today’s World
The Importance of Human Connection: The play reminds us of the power of human connection and the importance of family. In an increasingly fragmented world, fostering strong relationships is essential.
The Dangers of Blind Obedience: The characters in the play are often caught up in cycles of violence and sacrifice due to blind obedience to divine commands. It’s crucial to question authority and to think critically about the consequences of our actions.
The Power of Hope and Resilience: Even in the face of adversity, hope and resilience can prevail. Iphigenia’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome challenges.
Thought-Provoking Questions
How does the play’s exploration of divine intervention and human agency resonate with contemporary discussions about free will and determinism?
What are the implications of the play’s portrayal of women in a patriarchal society?
How does the play’s theme of sacrifice relate to contemporary issues such as war, climate change, and social justice?
To what extent can we rely on divine intervention to solve our problems, or must we take responsibility for our own actions?
How does the play’s exploration of guilt and redemption relate to contemporary notions of forgiveness and reconciliation?