Clytemnestra

The chapter begins with Clytemnestra looking down into a ravine called Ceadas, a place of death where Spartans dispose of criminals and weak babies. She notes the absence of bodies, which contrasts with her childhood memories of the gorge being filled with death and violence. Clytemnestra’s journey through the forest is fraught with danger, and she is acutely aware of being followed. She contemplates her recent escape from the palace and her mother, who sat glowing in the throne room. She also recalls shaving her head and attempting to train with Spartan boys, an act that led to her mother to punish her by withholding food.

As Clytemnestra navigates the terrain, she encounters a deer and initially mistakes it for a threat. When she is threatened by a lynx, the intense encounter leaves her injured, but she skillfully uses her bow and arrows and finally manages to wound the lynx with her dagger. In Clytemnestra’s final moments with the lynx, she observes the surprise and sadness in its eyes. She reflects on the nature of the gods, recalling her father’s dismissal of the divine and her mother’s belief that the secrets of the gods are hidden in nature. Now, she seeks refuge in a cave that provides a momentary shelter from the dangers outside.