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INTRODUCTION
LIKE the Andromache, The Heracleidae reflects the contemporary events
of the war between Athens and Sparta. Though the play cannot be exactly
dated, most critics agree that it must have appeared during the earlier
years of the conflict. A spirit of intense national patriotism pervades the
piece, and Athens is glorified both implicitly and explicitly, first by laying
the scene at Marathon, next by stressing the traditional Athenian piety
towards the gods, her democratic institutions, the essential nobility of
her citizens, and finally her willingness to protect the weak. There can
be no doubt that Euripides' preoccupation with this patriotic purpose accounts
for the inferior dramatic structure of the play.
In a characteristic Euripidean prologue, Iolaus, an old companion of
Heracles, sketches the situation at the beginning of the drama. The children
of Heracles, protected only by Alcmena, Heracles' mother, and
Iolaus, have sought refuge at the temple of Zeus in Marathon in their
effort to flee from their father's ancient and violent enemy, Eurystheus.
The latter after Heracles' death desired to slay them, but they and their
guardians managed to escape from Argos, and have vainly sought pro­tection from one
relentlessly pursued them. The action of the play records how Athens
successfully defended the fugitives.
If the central principle of unity for the play lies in the glorification of
Athens, Euripides has allowed certain extraneous elements to creep into
its composition. For example, he introduces the motif of Macaria's sacrifice.
Demophon, the Athenian king, reports that a maiden born of a
noble sire must be immolated if the Athenian arms are to succeed against
the attack of Eurystheus. Macaria willingly offers to give up her life on
these terms, and after a farewell speech, replete with genuine pathos,
leaves the scene, but Euripides makes no further reference to her in the
remainder of the play, except perhaps in one place where the text is
dubious (line 822). Likewise the half-comic scene of the arming of old
Iolaus seems to strike a discordant note, though the passage may be an
abortive attempt at pathos. Furthermore it is difficult to determine why
Eurystheus, the arch-villain at the beginning of the play, suddenly be-
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