ὑπόθεσις Ἀλκήστιδος Δικαιάρχου. Ἀπόλλων ᾐτήσατο παρὰ τῶν Μοιρῶν ὅπως Ἄδµητος τελευτᾶν µέλλων παράσχῃ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἑκόντα τεθνηξόµενον, ἵνα ἴσον τῷ προτέρῳ χρόνον ζήσῃ. καὶ δὴ Ἄλκηστις, ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ Ἀδµήτου, ἐπέδωκεν ἑαυτήν, οὐδετέρου τῶν γονέων ἐθελήσαντος ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀποθανεῖν. µετ’ οὐ πολὺ δὲ ταύτης τῆς συµφορᾶς γενοµένης Ἡρακλῆς παραγενόµενος καὶ µαθὼν παρά τινος θεράποντος τὰ περὶ τὴν Ἄλκηστιν ἐπορεύθη ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον καὶ Θάνατον ἀποστῆναι ποιήσας ἐσθῆτι καλύπτει τὴν γυναῖκα, τὸν δὲ Ἄδµητον ἠξίου λαβόντα τηρεῖν. εἰληφέναι γὰρ αὐτὴν πάλης ἆθλον ἔλεγεν. µὴ βουλοµένου δὲ ἐκείνου ἀποκαλύψας ἔδειξεν ἣν ἐπένθει.
Summary of Euripides' Alcestis by Dikaiarchus.
Apollo asked the Fates that Admetus, who was destined to die, be allowed to provide someone willing to die in his place, so that he could live out an equal length of life. Alcestis, his wife, offered herself, since neither of his parents was willing to die for their son. Not long after this misfortune occurred, Heracles arrived, and learning from a servant what had happened to Alcestis, he went to the tomb, forced Death to retreat, and covered the woman with a cloak, asking Admetus to take her and guard her. He claimed to have won her as a prize in a wrestling match. When Admetus refused, Heracles uncovered her and revealed it was the wife he had been mourning.