You, Aphrodite, lead captive the stubborn hearts of gods and of mortals.

Aphrodite conquers all. Or nearly all. Zeus is under her spell and only a few, Athena and Artemis among them, have resisted her.

Love is so powerful a force that it can even cause a step-mother to lust after her step-son. That at least is the premise for this tragedy and so the battle of Aphrodite (love, desire) is fought against Artemis (chastity) through Phaedra’s forbidden love for Hippolytus.

Humans are quick to judge and often seek revenge before knowing the full story. This requires pardon and Hippolytus must decide whether to grant it to both his step-mother Phaedra and his father Theseus.

This tragedy play won the award in Athens in 428BC, amidst the Peloponnesian War. It’s a stunning play and I try to capture its beauty and power in this episode.