Aeschylus’ Suppliant Women
Student’s Guide | Classical Reference Library
Richer Resources Editorial Team
About This Guide
In Aeschylus’ Suppliant Women, fifty sisters flee from Egypt to Argos because they do not want to marry their cousins. They ask the people of Argos to protect them, but granting refuge could bring danger to the city.
This guide will help you follow their appeal and think about freedom, fear, and the responsibilities people have toward strangers.
Before You Read
The sisters are called the Danaids, after their father, Danaus. They seek protection at sacred altars, where people in distress could appeal to the gods and to the community.
The play belongs to a larger story, but the other plays in its trilogy have been lost. Its exact performance date is uncertain.
The Story at a Glance
Danaus and his daughters arrive in Argos, fleeing the sons of Aegyptus, who want to marry the women. The sisters take refuge at altars and pray to Zeus for protection.
Pelasgus, king of Argos, listens to their appeal. He worries that protecting them may bring war upon his people. He therefore asks the citizens to decide. The Argives vote to shelter the sisters.
An Egyptian herald arrives and threatens to seize the women. Pelasgus stops him and insists that they cannot be taken by force. The sisters have found refuge for the moment, but the larger danger has not disappeared.
Meet the Characters
The Danaids — Fifty sisters who speak mainly together as the Chorus. They refuse the marriages demanded of them and ask for safety.
Danaus — Their father, who leads them to Argos and advises them.
Pelasgus — King of Argos, who must weigh the sisters’ need for protection against the risks to his city.
Egyptian Herald — A representative of their pursuers who tries to force the sisters to leave.
Important Themes
Protection and Refuge — What should a community do when people arrive seeking safety?
Consent and Freedom — The sisters resist marriages they do not want. Their refusal drives the story.
Leadership and Public Choice — Pelasgus does not decide alone; he brings the question before his people.
Fear and Courage — The sisters are frightened, but they speak firmly about their wishes.
Religious Duty — The sacred altars and appeals to Zeus give the request for protection special importance.
What to Notice as You Read
Notice how often the sisters speak as a group. What does their shared voice make possible?
Pay attention to the reasons Pelasgus gives for hesitating. Is he indifferent to the sisters’ suffering?
Compare the sisters’ prayers with the Egyptian herald’s threats.
Look for the difference between being promised safety and being completely free from danger.
A Literary Feature: The Chorus
In many Greek tragedies, the Chorus comments on the action. Here, the Chorus of Danaids is at the center of the story: the women themselves ask for help, argue their case, and react to the decision.
Their collective voice makes the play feel like both a personal plea and a public question.
Questions to Think About
- Why do the Danaids come to Argos?
- Why do they seek refuge at sacred altars?
- Why is Pelasgus worried about helping them?
- What changes when the citizens vote to protect the sisters?
- How does the herald behave differently from Pelasgus?
- Does the ending solve the sisters’ problems, or only give them temporary safety?
After You Finish
Imagine you are an Argive citizen asked to vote on the sisters’ request. Would you support granting refuge? Explain your answer using two details from the play, including one reason someone might disagree with you.
A Final Thought
Suppliant Women asks what it means to protect people who have little power. The play does not pretend that helping is without risk; it asks who should bear that risk and how the decision should be made.
Note to the Reader
This guide accompanies the Richer Resources Publications edition of Aeschylus’ Suppliant Women, translated by Ian Johnston.
A printable PDF version of this resource is available by email.
