Site · ancient_region
Tauris
- Region
- Black Sea / Crimean peninsula
Ancient Greek name for Taurian territory on the Black Sea, associated with today's Crimean peninsula; the setting of Euripides' Iphigenia play.
Text
Tauris is an ancient Greek geographic name for the land of the Tauri by the Black Sea, broadly associated with today's Crimean peninsula. Herodotus describes the Tauri in Book 4, but his report is not a precise map of every mythical event. [1]
Euripides' Iphigenia among the Taurians, probably performed in the late fifth century BCE, is set in this coastal world. It places Iphigenia there after her rescue; it does not provide an identifiable archaeological site for her fictional temple. The photograph shows a present-day Crimean coast as regional context, not a scene from the play. [2][3]
References and notes
- Ancient report on the Tauri, not a location for every episode of Euripides' play. Herodotus, Histories 4.103, English translation; relevant passage only. Return to the text ↑
- Publisher description places the play on the Black Sea coast of present-day Crimea. Cambridge 2023 edition, publisher description; book not read in full. Return to the text ↑
- Modern Crimean coastal view, not a specific archaeological setting of the play. Commons file identity, photographer and CC BY-SA 4.0; checked 14 October 2026. Return to the text ↑
Research history
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Cite this record
IL Archive, «Tauris», Edition 3, https://ilarchive.com/en/sites/tauris