Erechtheus

play by Euripides

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June 26, 2026

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Euripides' lost play, Erechtheus, dramatizes the legend of the Athenian king Erechtheus. According to myth, Erechtheus was born from the earth and raised by Athena. He was associated with snakes, symbolizing an earth or ancestor spirit. In the play, Erechtheus sacrifices his daughter Chthonia to win a war against Eleusis and Eumolpus. Despite his victory, he is subsequently destroyed by Poseidon or Zeus. The play highlights themes of divine will, sacrifice, and the intertwined nature of kingship, the land, and fertility in ancient Athens. Euripides, one of Athens' great tragedians, explored complex characters and traditional myths with a rationalizing perspective.12

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Erechtheus
In his lost play Erechtheus, Euripides gave that king three daughters, one of whom was appropriately named Chthonia. At war with neighbouring Eleusis and its ally King Eumolpus, Erechtheus learned from the god Apollo that Athens would win if he sacrificed his daughter. He sacrificed Chthonia, and her sisters…
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In his lost play Erechtheus, Euripides gave that king three daughters, one of whom was appropriately named Chthonia. At war with neighbouring Eleusis and its ally King Eumolpus, Erechtheus learned from the god Apollo that Athens would win if he sacrificed his daughter. He sacrificed Chthonia, and her sisters…
Read More