Andromachē
Andromachē, Greek tragedy by Euripides, probably produced c.426 BC, in the early part of the Peloponnesian War.
The play deals with that period in the life of Andromache when she was living as the concubine of Neoptolemus in Thessaly. She had borne him a son, Molossus. After ten years Neoptolemus had married Hermione, daughter of Menelaus; she remained childless and suspected that this was the doing of her hated rival Andromache. Helped by Menelaus, Hermione takes advantage of the absence of Neoptolemus on a journey to Delphi to draw Andromache, by the threat to kill Molossus, from the shrine of Thetis where she had taken refuge, in order to kill both mother and son. They are saved by the intervention of the aged Peleus, the grandfather of Neoptolemus. Orestes, who has contrived the murder of Neoptolemus at Delphi and who arrives unexpectedly, carries off Hermione, to whom he had been betrothed before Neoptolemus had claimed her. The death of Neoptolemus is announced. Thetis appears and arranges matters. The odious character which the poet attributes to (the Spartan) Menelaus has been seen as according with the feeling against Sparta which prevailed at this time at Athens.
