In this tragedy first staged in 415 BCE, Euripides shows the women of Troy after the Greek victory. Queen Hecuba, her daughter Cassandra, Andromache and Helen wait to be shared out as slaves by the victors. Andromache's young son Astyanax is to be thrown from the city walls. The chorus and the actors speak of grief, of the cruelty of war and the gods' indifference. The play was written soon after Athens destroyed the island of Melos, and reads as an anti-war statement.
It's for readers of classics and drama, and for anyone who wants an ancient view of war from the losing side. It is short and has been staged many times.
Deep, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
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