AULIS (port in Boeotia)
Ancient Greek port and sanctuary
- Kind of place
- Port
- Region
- Boeotia
- Patron
- Hecate
- Landmarks
- Stream of pure water Iliad 2 ¶24; Bay Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 115-163
- People of myth here
- Dymas, Peneleus, Syleus, Artemis
- Where
- 38.43° N, 23.59° E
Agamemnon mustered a thousand ships at Aulis to attack Troy. Euripides, Iphigenia Among the Tauri 1-41 Aulis was the location where Orestes' sister was sacrificed. Euripides, Orestes 640-681 A palm tree stands in front of the sanctuary located at Aulis. Pausanias 9.19.8
Described in the sources
The Greek fleet and army were assembled at Aulis, where their ships were received in the narrow havens. Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 115-163 +4 Aulis is a rocky location on the Euboean coast near the Euripus strait, situated in a waveless bay with a deep harbour. Argonautica 4 ¶109 +4 Aulis is the home of Artemis, who has a temple there and is identified as the domain of the goddess. Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 402-439 +3 The assembled Greek army and fleet were held at Aulis by bad weather and unfavorable winds until a sacrifice was performed. Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 349-375 +3 Aulis is a famous cleft and sandy beach on the sea coast, situated near the narrow tides and whirlpools of the Euripus strait, and is described as quiet and silent during the night with calm seas and hushed winds. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 184-191 +3 The allied Greek peoples and expedition leaders gathered at Aulis to perform sacrifices. Quintus 14 ¶8 +2 Aulis is located in the region of Boeotia on the mainland, on the right side of the Euripus strait. Pausanias 9.19.6 +2 Aulis is on the mainland opposite Chalcis, below Thebes, at the Euripus mouth, facing the Euboean sea. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 4.12 ¶1 +2 The Greek army assembled at Aulis after an eight-year interval and after returning from Mysia to Greece. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.11 +2 The Greek fleet was trapped and stationed at Aulis due to a prolonged violent gale while preparing for Troy. Euripides, Electra 998-1034 +2
Gods and worship
The location is described as sacred to the goddess Hecate. Statius, Achilleid 1.445-474 ¶1 Sacrifices to Artemis were performed here when favorable winds appeared. Pausanias 9.19.7 A local rule permits offering oil victims due to past sacrificial practices. Pausanias 9.19.7 A sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter was demanded here to appease the angry goddess. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.21
Stories and history
The Greeks attempted to depart from Aulis but were prevented by stormy winds. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 184-191 +2 The Greeks attempted to sacrifice Iphigenia in Aulis to appease Artemis due to unfavorable winds, but Artemis substituted a deer for her at the altar. Euripides, Iphigenia Among the Tauri 1-41 +2 The fleet was trapped at Aulis by a lack of wind while staying in the harbor. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.21 +1 Agamemnon took Iphigenia to Aulis under the pretext of a marriage to Achilles. Euripides, Electra 998-1034 +1 Calchas interpreted the stone serpent as a sign that the war would last nine years in the presence of the assembled leaders. Iliad 2 ¶24 +1 The vast army was sworn in at this location. Statius, Achilleid 1.445-474 ¶1 The harbour at Aulis can hold fifty small vessels. Strabo 9.2.8 Hercules burned the vines with their roots in Aulis. Apollodorus 2.6.3 Aulis acted in wrathful memory of a king lost on the sea. Seneca, Medea act 3 ¶11 Hercules killed Syleus and his daughter Xenodoce in Aulis. Apollodorus 2.6.3
Myths set at Aulis
- The Calm of the Winds at Aulis. Agamemnon's fleet is trapped at Aulis because the gods have withheld favorable winds. He attempts to resolve the delay by performing sacrifices, though he faces criticism for his slow leadership. Euripides, Hecuba 864-904 +5 Agamemnon
- The Deception and Arrival at Aulis. Agamemnon tricks his daughter Iphigenia into coming to Aulis by promising her a marriage to Achilles. She arrives at the army camp, embraces her father, and is told she will travel alone to a new home. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.22 +5 Iphigenia
- The Deception at Aulis. Agamemnon lures Iphigenia to Aulis by promising her to Achilles as a bride. Achilles is unaware that his name is being used to deceive her for a different purpose. Euripides, Iphigenia Among the Tauri 1-41 +5 Achilles
- The Deception of the Marriage. Agamemnon, deceived by Odysseus, uses a fake marriage to Achilles to lure his daughter Iphigenia to Aulis. He intends to sacrifice her instead of marrying her off. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.22 +5 Agamemnon
- The Sacrifice and Divine Rescue. Agamemnon deceives his daughter Iphigenia into coming to Aulis under the false pretense of a marriage to Achilles, intending to sacrifice her to Artemis to secure winds for his fleet. At the altar, Artemis replaces Iphigenia with a deer and spirits her away, saving her from death. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1521-1529 +5 Iphigenia
- The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaean troops, faces a crisis at Aulis where he must sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to appease the gods for the sake of the expedition to Ilium. He ultimately kills her, though in one version a deer is sacrificed instead, fulfilling the requirement for the fleet to sail. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.22 +5 Agamemnon
- The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Clytemnestra is tricked by her husband Agamemnon into bringing their daughter Iphigenia to Aulis under the false pretense of a marriage. She discovers the truth that her daughter is to be sacrificed to appease the gods for the Greek fleet's departure. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.22 +5 Clytemnestra
- The Sacrifice of Iphigenia at Aulis. Calchas declares that Agamemnon must sacrifice Iphigenia to Artemis to release the Greek fleet. The ritual is performed, but the goddess accepts a deer instead, allowing the army to sail for Ilium. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.21 +5 Calchas
- The Dispute at Aulis. Menelaus confronts Agamemnon at Aulis, accusing him of betrayal and demanding the army disband. He then reverses his stance, withdrawing his demands for the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter out of brotherly affection. Euripides, Iphigenia in Aulis 317-348 +4 Menelaus
- The Discovery of the Plot. Iphigenia discovers that her promised marriage at Aulis is a deception. She questions the logic of the plot and attempts to hide from the consequences. Euripides, Iphigenia Among the Tauri 492-539 +3 Iphigenia
- The Departure for Troy. The Greeks summoned Telamon to join their forces, and he gathered soldiers for the campaign. He watched his children depart by ship for Aulis to join the Greek expedition. Herodotus 8.64.2 +2 Telamon
- The Council at Aulis. The sons of Atreus gather the Achaeans at sunset to explain the reason for the assembly. The gathering is linked to a serpent prodigy seen on victims at Aulis. Odyssey 3 ¶14 +1 Atreus
2 more
- The Slaying of Syleus. Heracles is forced to dig by Syleus, who demands labor from strangers. Heracles kills Syleus and his daughter Xenodoce in Aulis after burning the vines. Apollodorus 2.6.3 +1 Heracles
- The Trojan War. Hypseus, the king of the Lapiths, arrives at the war with distinctive armor and a large army from various Boeotian towns. He leads his troops in the conflict, holding key positions and subduing enemies. Statius, Thebaid 7.282-308 ¶3 Hypseus