Question

Why was Iphigenia's mouth covered during the execution?

a) To prevent her from speaking
b) As a sign of respect
c) To muffle her cries
d) Part of a ritual

Answer 1

In the story of Iphigenia, a character from Greek mythology, her mouth was covered during execution to prevent her from speaking, primarily to stop her from cursing her father or disrupting the sacrifice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The inquiry regarding why Iphigenia's mouth was covered during her execution refers to a mythological story rather than a historical event. In the myth of Iphigenia, a story from ancient Greek mythology, her mouth was believed to be covered to prevent her from speaking.

This action was likely implemented for a couple of reasons; principally, to stop her from cursing her father Agamemnon, who had ordered her sacrifice, and possibly to prevent her from rallying any dissent or causing disorder among the witnesses.

It's important to note that the act of covering Iphigenia's mouth does not relate directly to historical practices surrounding disease control or the handling of bodies prior to burial, as described in the reference regarding cisterns for storing bodies. Hence, in the context of the story of Iphigenia, the option that most accurately represents the motive behind her mouth being covered during execution would be 'To prevent her from speaking'.