Euripides works with a common story pattern a young man (Hippolytus) becomes the object of a married woman's (Phaedra's) desire, rebuffs her sexual overtures, and is then falsely accused to the woman's husband (Theseus, Hippolytus' father) of rape.
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This is an English translation of Euripides' tragedy Heracles on how Heracles is maddened by the gods to murder his wife and children. Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture.

Euripides' Heracles is an extraordinary play, innovative in its treatment of the myth, bold in its dramatic structure, and filled with affective human pathos. The play tells a tale of horror: Heracles, the greatest hero of the Greeks, is maddened by the gods to murder his wife and children. But this suffering and divine malevolence are...