Iphigenia's Sacrifice to the Goddess Artemis

The idea of a perfect, innocent individual suffering purposefully through no fault of his or her own is a foundational idea in ancient mythic theories of sacrifice. We might think here of Iphigenia's sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The eighth-century prophet Isaiah describes the rejection, harassment and physical violence experienced by a suffering servant who it seems serves a quasi-sacrificial role on behalf of the community. Even in the case of righteous sufferers like the Maccabean Martyrs executed by Antiochus IV epiphanies for their adherence to ancient law and custom, the Martyrs themselves are reported to have said that they suffered on account of their own sins.