Part 6 Summary

The Chorus sings a hymn to Phoebus Apollo. They refer to his origins as a son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and also to the way he slays mighty monsters, dispenses great wisdom through his Oracle, and was given the gift of foresight by Zeus after he took it away from the god of dreams where foresight had originally dwelled.

A Messenger runs on, crying out for Thoas and saying that Orestes, Pylades and Iphigenia have all escaped, taking with them the statue of Artemis. The Chorus says Thoas is no longer at the temple, but the Messenger accuses them of lying and of being involved in plotting the escape. Thoas appears, demanding to know what all the noise is about. The Messenger accuses the Chorus of deceit, tells Thoas to begin planning the pursuit of the escapees, and then relates...