Μετὰ τὴν Ἰλίου πόρθησιν ἔδοξεν Ἀθηνᾷ τε καὶ Ποσειδῶνι τὸ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν στράτευμα διαφθεῖραι, τοῦ μὲν εὐνοοῦντος τῇ πόλει διὰ τὴν κτίσιν, τῆς δὲ μισησάσης τοὺς Ἕλληνας διὰ τὴν Αἴαντος εἰς Κασσάνδραν ὕβριν. οἱ δὲ Ἕλληνες κληρωσάμενοι περὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων γυναικῶν τὰς ἐν ἀξιώμασιν ἔδωκαν Ἀγαμέμνονι μὲν Κασσάνδραν, Ἀνδρομάχην δὲ Νεοπτολέμῳ, Πολυξένην δὲ τῷ Ἀχιλλεῖ. ταύτην μὲν οὖν ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἀχιλλέως ταφῆς ἔσφαξαν, Ἀστυάνακτα δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τειχῶν ἔρριψαν. Ἑλένην δὲ ὡς ἀποκτενῶν Μενέλαος ἤγαγεν, Ἀγαμέμνων δὲ τὴν χρησμῳδὸν ἐνυμφαγώγησεν. Ἑκάβη δὲ τῆς μὲν Ἑλένης κατηγορήσασα, τοὺς ἀναιρεθέντας δὲ κατοδυραμένη τε καὶ κηδεύσασα πρὸς τὰς Ὀδυσσέως ἤχθη σκηνὰς, τούτῳ λατρεύειν δοθεῖσα.
τὰ τοῦ δράματος πρόσωπα: Ποσειδῶν, Ἀθηνᾶ, Εκάβη, χορὸς ἐξ αἰχμαλωτίδων Τρωιάδων, Ταλθύβιος, Κασσάνδρα, Ἀνδρομάχη, Μενέλαος, Ἑλένη.
After the sack of Troy, it was decided by Athena and Poseidon to destroy the army of the Achaeans—Poseidon being favorable to the city for its founding, while Athena hated the Greeks because of Ajax’s outrage against Cassandra. The Greeks, casting lots over the captive women, assigned those of noble rank: Agamemnon took Cassandra, Neoptolemus received Andromache, and Polyxena was given to Achilles. She was sacrificed at Achilles’ tomb, and Astyanax was thrown from the city walls. Helen was led away by Menelaus, intending to kill her, while Agamemnon married the prophetess. Hecuba, having denounced Helen and mourned and buried the slain, was led to Odysseus’ tent, assigned to serve him.
Dramatis Personae: Poseidon, Athena, Hecuba, Chorus of captive Trojan women, Talthybius, Cassandra, Andromache, Menelaus, Helen.