Iphigenia, << `ihf` uh juh NY uh >>, in Greek mythology, was the daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces in the Trojan War. Agamemnon sacrificed Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis so that the goddess would send the Greek fleet favorable winds for their voyage to Troy.
One version of the myth tells that Iphigenia died during the sacrifice. According to another version, Artemis rescued Iphigenia, substituting a deer in her place. The goddess carried Iphigenia to the land of Tauris, where she became a priestess of Artemis. Orestes, Iphigenia’s brother, later murdered Clytemnestra. As punishment, the god Apollo ordered him to go to Tauris and bring back a sacred wooden statue of Artemis. The Taurians, who sacrificed all outsiders, captured Orestes, but Iphigenia recognized her brother and saved him. Under the protection of the goddess Athena, Iphigenia and Orestes escaped from Tauris with the statue. Iphigenia again became a priestess of Artemis after she returned to Greece.
