The Sacrifice of Polyxena
After the fall of Troy, the Trojan princess Polyxena is sacrificed at the tomb of Achilles in later Greek tradition, becoming one of the final victims of the war.
The Story
The destruction of Troy did not end the suffering of its royal family.
Polyxena was a daughter of Priam and Hecuba.
After the city fell, she became a captive of the victorious Greeks.
A demand arose that she should be sacrificed at the tomb of Achilles.
In later dramatic tradition, the ghost of Achilles demanded the offering before the Greek fleet could leave Troy.
Polyxena faced death with extraordinary composure.
Rather than begging for her life, she chose to meet her fate with dignity.
She was killed at Achilles' tomb.
Her mother Hecuba, who had already lost her city, husband and many of her children, was forced to endure another death.
The episode turns attention away from the warriors who won the Trojan War and toward the people who paid the price after the fighting had ended.
Why was Polyxena sacrificed after the Trojan War? In important later traditions, the ghost of Achilles appears after Troy has fallen and demands that Polyxena be sacrificed at his tomb before the Greeks can complete their departure.
The Greeks therefore take Polyxena to the burial place of Achilles. Her death becomes one of the final acts of violence associated with the destruction of Troy.
The sacrifice does not belong to the central narrative of Homer's Iliad. It becomes prominent in later Greek literary and dramatic tradition, where authors develop Polyxena as a tragic figure confronting the consequences of defeat.
Her story is particularly powerful because the war is effectively over. Troy has fallen, yet the defeated Trojan royal family continues to suffer. Polyxena therefore represents the way the violence of the Trojan War continues even after the fighting itself has ended.
Why was Polyxena sacrificed? In important later Greek traditions, the ghost of Achilles appears after the fall of Troy and demands that Polyxena be sacrificed at his tomb before the Greeks complete their departure.
Polyxena is taken to the burial place of Achilles and killed as an offering associated with the dead hero. Her death becomes one of the final acts of violence connected with the Trojan War.
The episode is not part of the main narrative of Homer's Iliad. It becomes especially important in later Greek literature and tragedy, where Polyxena is developed as a tragic figure confronting the consequences of Troy's defeat.
Her death is significant because the war itself is effectively over. Troy has fallen, yet violence continues against the surviving Trojan royal family. Polyxena therefore represents the human cost of victory after the battlefield fighting has ended.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
Polyxena's sacrifice became one of the most powerful stories about the suffering of Trojan women after the fall of the city and the moral cost of Greek victory. Polyxena's sacrifice extends the tragedy of Troy beyond the battlefield. Her death shows that victory does not immediately end violence and places the fate of Trojan captives at the centre of the war's aftermath.
Traditions & Variations
Polyxena does not play this role in Homer's Iliad. Her sacrifice belongs to later Trojan War tradition and is particularly important in Euripides' Hecuba. Other traditions connect Polyxena and Achilles in different ways. Polyxena's sacrifice is especially important in post-Homeric tradition. Ancient authors differ in their treatment of Achilles' demand, Polyxena's conduct at the sacrifice and the precise circumstances of her death.