ar away the image of the goddess; for so doing I shall be quit of
my madness, and thou wilt be brought to thy native country and the house
of thy father shall prosper. But if we do it not, then shall we perish
altogether."

And Iphigenia doubted much how this thing might be done. But at the last
she said, "I have a device whereby I shall compass the matter. I will
say that thou art come hither, having murdered thy mother, and that thou
canst not be offered for a sacrifice till thou art purified with the
water of the sea. Also that thou hast touched the image, and that this
also must be purified in like manner. And the image I myself will bear
to the sea; for, indeed, I only may touch it with my hands. And of this
Pylades also I will say that he is polluted in like manner with thee. So
shall we three win our way to the ship. And that this be ready it will
be thy care to provide."

And when she had so said, she prayed to Artemis: "Great goddess, that
didst bring me safe in days past from Aulis, bring me now also, and
these that are with me, safe to the land of Greece, so that men may
count thy brother Apollo to be a true prophet. Nor shouldst thou be
unwilling to depart from this barbarous land and to dwell in the fair
city of Athens."

After this came King Thoas, inquiring whether they had offered the
strangers for sacrifice and had duly burnt their bodies with fire. To
him Iphigenia made answer, "These were unclean sacrifices that thou
broughtest to me, O King."

"How didst thou learn this?"

"The image of the goddess turned upon her place of her own accord and
covered also her face with her hands."

"What wickedness, then, had these strangers wrought?"

"They slew their mother and had been banished therefor from the land of
Greece."

"O monstrous! Such deeds we barbarians never do. And now what dost thou
purpose?"

"We must purify these strangers before we offer them for a sacrifice."

"With water from the river, or in the sea?"

"In the sea. The sea cleanseth away all that is evil among men."

"Well, thou hast it here, by the very walls of the temple."

"Aye, but I must seek a place apart from men."

"So be it; go where thou wilt; I would not look on things forbidden."

"The image also must be purified."

"Surely, if the pollution from these murderers of their mother hath
touched it. This is well thought of in thee."

Then she instructed the king that he should bring the strangers out of
the temp