The Suppliants ( Hiketides)

Aeschylus - 463? B.C.

The first play of a trilogy that concluded with The Egyptians and The Daughters of Danaus (Danaides), both lost.

The Suppliants presents the theologically advanced notion of Zeus as enforcer of justice in the universe and special protector of the oppressed.

From the closing lines of this play and from the fragments of the following two, we can deduce that the trilogy set forth the theme of harmony with nature, showing the tragic consequences of the brutal lust of the Egyptians coupled with the Danaides' irrational refusal to recognise the power of the cosmic Aphrodite, who brings men and women together. It is possible that the trilogy ended in a trial scene like that of The Eumenides and that the Danaides, who demonstrated excessive devotion to the virgin Artemis, conquered their aversion to marriage and were reconciled with Aphrodite.