A) Euripides, Hecuba 108-140
It is said that the Achaeans in full assembly have determined to offer your daughter in sacrifice to Achilles; for you know how one day he appeared standing on his tomb in golden armor, and stayed the sea-borne ships, though they had their sails already hoisted, with this pealing cry, "Where, Danaans, do you sail so fast, leaving my tomb without its prize?" Thereon arose a violent dispute with stormy altercation, and opinion was divided in the warrior host of Hellas, some being in favour of offering the sacrifice at the tomb, others dissenting. There was Agamemnon, all eagerness in your interest, because of his love for the frenzied prophetess; but the two sons of Theseus, scions of Athens, though supporting different proposals, yet agreed on the same decision, which was to crown Achilles' tomb with fresh-spilt blood; for they said they never would set Cassandra's love before Achilles' valour. Now the zeal of the rival disputants was almost equal, until that shifty, smooth-mouthed slicer of words, the son of Laertes, whose tongue is ever at the service of the mob, persuaded the army not to put aside the best of all the Danai for want of a slave-woman's sacrifice, nor have it said by any of the dead who stand beside Persephone that without one thought of gratitude the Danaans have left the plains of Troy and deserted their brethren who died for Hellas.

B) Euripides, Hecuba 254-266
A thankless [without kharis] race! all you who covet honour [timê] from the mob for your oratory. Would that you were unknown to me, you who harm your friends and think no more of it, if you can but say a word to win the mob. But tell me, what kind of cleverness did they think it, when against this child they passed their murderous vote? Was it duty led them to slay a human victim at the tomb, where sacrifice of oxen more befits? Or does Achilles, claiming the lives of those who slew him as his recompense, show his justice [dikê] by marking her out for death? No! she at least never committed any injury against him. He should have demanded Helen as a victim at his tomb, for she it was that proved his ruin, bringing him to Troy.

C) Euripides, Hecuba 309-320
Now Achilles, lady, deserves honour [timê] at our hands, since for Hellas he died as beautifully as a mortal can. Is not this a foul reproach to treat a man as a friend [philos] in life, but, when he is gone from us, to treat him so no more? Well? what will they say, if once more there comes a gathering of the army and a contest [agôn] with the foe? "Shall we fight or be lovers our lives [psukhê, plural], seeing the dead have no honours [timê]?" For myself, indeed, even if in life my daily store were scant, yet it would be all-sufficient, but as touching a tomb I should wish mine to be an object of respect, for this gratitude [kharis] endures.

D) Euripides, Hecuba 528-542
Then did Achilles' son take in his hands a brimming cup of gold and poured an offering to his dead sire, making a sign to me to proclaim silence throughout the Achaean host. So I stood at his side and in their midst proclaimed, "Silence, Achaeans! All people be hushed! Peace! Be still!" Therewith I calmed the host. Then he spoke, "Son of Peleus, my father, accept the offering I pour you to appease your spirit, strong to raise the dead; and come to drink the black blood of a virgin pure, which I and the host are offering you; oh! be propitious to us; grant that we may loose our prows and the cables of our ships, and, meeting with prosperous voyage from Ilium, all come to our country and achieve a homecoming [nostos]." So he spoke; and all the army echoed his prayer.

E) Euripides, Hecuba 1287-92
Go you, unhappy Hecuba, and bury your two corpses; and you, Trojan women, go to your masters' tents, for I perceive a breeze just rising to waft us home. God grant we reach our country and find all well at home, released from troubles here!

 

---