ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on to a consistently sad letter from a loving wife to a loving husband and instead of complaints, criticisms and threats of death we find here affection, solicitude for the man's wellbeing and horror at the idea of him dying. The young heroine Laodamia married Protesilaus, a king in Thessaly (northern Greece). After a brief period together married (in one tradition only one day and night) they were parted when he had to sail off to join the huge army that was gathering at the Greek port of Aulis with the intention of getting Menelaus' wife Helen back from the Trojan prince Paris, with whom she had eloped when he stayed with them as a guest. At Euripides Alcestis, a servant describes how Alcestis readied herself for death when the fatal day arrived. This passage highlights several aspects of married life which Laodamia was sadly unable to enjoy, while also being very moving in itself.
