The Suppliants Summary

The earliest surviving play by Aeschylus is The Suppliants (also called The Suppliant Maidens). This tragedy is the first part of a trilogy that was likely performed in the fifth century BCE. It tells the story of the fifty daughters of Danaus, known as the Danaides, who flee from Egypt to Argos to escape forced marriages to their cousins, the sons of Egypt.

The play’s plot is straightforward. The Danaides seek protection from the king of Argos. Since they are asking for help, they are called “suppliants.” At first, the king is unsure what to do, so he asks the people of Argos for their opinion. The people decide to offer the Danaides asylum. Later, when a herald from Egypt’s sons arrives to take the women back, the king steps in to stop him. In the end, the Danaides find safety in Argos.

From a literary perspective, this tragedy follows the traditional style of early classical drama. The chorus, made up of the Danaides, plays the central role. The entire action of the play revolves around their struggle. The chorus expresses their pleas, hopes, fears, threats, and gratitude through their words:

“Nay, but ye Gods of the bride-bed and begetting, Hear me! Ye should be jealous for the Right! Grudge lawless youth, with the hot blood fretting. Lore that perfects passion’s neophyte! Set the brand of your scorn on lust that profanes, And mingle love’s rite with austerities sweet!”

They also say:

“But, if these will not, then I will essay The sun-loathed courts of Death, Where never a sick soul is turned away That wearies of this breath; And, since Olympian Gods no help afford. My corpse shall access find to Zeus, Earth’s Lord, When suppliant boughs shall be decked with the knotted cord.”

This early play introduces themes that Aeschylus develops further in his later works. The king of Argos is portrayed as a just ruler who consults his people before making a decision. He supports freedom and democracy while opposing tyranny. Aeschylus shows sympathy for the Danaides, who resist being forced into marriage, but he also emphasizes that rejecting marriage completely is not acceptable.

At the end of the play, the chorus of the Danaides is joined by a smaller chorus of female servants. They sing in praise of Aphrodite (Cypris), the goddess of love:

“But we forget not Cypris. Let none deem Our harmless song is meant in her dispraise. For she with Hera sways The heart of Zeus, and he is Lord Supreme. The subtle Goddess hath her rites; — with young Desire playing at his mother’s side; Nor less Persuasion to whose charming tongue No boon that heart can give or worth approves May be denied. Yea, music hath her share In Aphrodite’s Empire fair, Music with all the train of whispering Loves.”

The other two plays of Aeschylus’s trilogy (The Egyptians and The Danaides) have not survived. However, the rest of the myth is well known. The sons of Egypt eventually marry the Danaides, but on their wedding night, the women kill their husbands. Only one woman spares her husband, and their descendants go on to rule Argos. The trilogy likely ended by reinforcing the importance of marriage and family lineage.

Character Analysis

The Danaides

The Danaides, a group of fifty sisters, form the chorus of The Suppliants. Unlike later Greek plays, where the chorus mostly comments on the story, these women are at the heart of the action. They are the daughters of Danaus and have fled from Egypt to escape forced marriages to their fifty cousins. Desperate and terrified, they arrive in Argos, clinging to the city’s altars and pleading for protection. If denied, they vow to take their own lives rather than be taken by their pursuers.

King Pelasgus of Argos

King Pelasgus faces a tough decision. On one hand, he knows it is right to help the Danaides, and angering Zeus by turning them away would be dangerous. On the other hand, his small city cannot afford a war with their powerful Egyptian pursuers. Rather than ruling like a tyrant, Pelasgus seeks the people’s approval. When the citizens of Argos agree to shelter the women, he stands firm against the threats of the Egyptian herald, preparing to defend his city and the Danaides.

The Herald of Aegyptus

The Herald of Aegyptus arrives in Argos as the voice of the fifty Egyptian men who seek to claim the Danaides as their brides. Arrogant and aggressive, he disregards Greek laws and gods, caring only for his mission. He even threatens to drag the women away from the sacred altars by force. But King Pelasgus refuses to back down, driving the herald out of Argos. Before leaving, the herald warns that this matter is far from over—war may soon follow.

Danaus

Danaus, the father of the Danaides, is an old but wise man determined to protect his daughters. His brother, Aegyptus, insists their children must marry, but Danaus sees this as a terrible fate. He encourages his daughters to resist and guides them throughout their journey.

The story of Danaus and Aegyptus traces back to their ancestor, Io, a priestess of Hera who caught Zeus’s eye. Out of jealousy, Hera transformed Io into a heifer and sent a tormenting gadfly to chase her across the world. Eventually, Io reached Egypt, where she bore a son, Epaphus. Generations later, Danaus and Aegyptus were born—one with fifty daughters, the other with fifty sons. Now, the battle over these two families has reached the shores of Argos.

Themes Analysis

The Meaning of Justice

In Aeschylus’s plays, justice is a big question. Who decides what’s right—gods or people? The Suppliants explores this through the story of the Danaides, who are being forced into marriage by their cousins. Instead of giving in, they run to King Pelasgus of Argos, begging for protection. The king doesn’t decide alone—he asks his people what to do.

The Danaides also pray to Zeus, their ancestor, asking him to strike down their pursuers:

"Send their ship back to sea!

Let the storm rise, the thunder roar,

Let the waves pull them under before

They lay hands on us!"

Though we don’t have the full trilogy, Aeschylus likely ended the story like he did in The Oresteia—by showing that justice works best when human laws and divine will find balance.

Women, Religion, and the Power of Myth

The Danaides don’t just plead their case—they back it up with mythology. They remind everyone that, in the past, the gods sided with people like them. If the gods were just before, surely they will be just now!

Their arguments also highlight the deep connection between women and religious traditions in ancient Greece. The Danaides show their devotion by calling on Artemis, the goddess of chastity. Since staying pure was a key part of piety, they argue that being forced into marriage would violate their sacred duty. In their world, purity isn’t just personal—it’s divine.

A Leader Who Listens

King Pelasgus faces a tough decision: should he act alone or let the people decide? The Danaides want him to be a bold ruler and protect them, but he knows that granting them asylum could bring trouble to his kingdom. Instead of ruling like a tyrant, he does something different—he asks his people what they think.

Aeschylus paints Pelasgus as an ideal leader: thoughtful, just, and willing to trust his people. True leadership, the play suggests, isn’t about power—it’s about listening.