Prologue: Poseidon opens the drama by evoking the birth of Trojans and the Greeks' capture of the city thanks to the ploy of the Trojan horse. It recalls the horrors perpetrated within the Troyan camp: the death of Priam, the tragic fate of the Trojans destined to end up slaves, the murder of Polyxene (daughter of Hecube) on the tomb of Achilles, the future sacrilegious weddings of Cassandre, consecrated priestess of Apollo, with Agamemnon (Greek leader). Athena enters the stage and proposes to Poseidon an alliance intended to punish the Greeks in punishment for their impious acts committed during the capture of Troy. Lamentations and tragic chant of Hecube.
Choir's (or parodos) opening song: spoken and lyrical dialogue between Hecube and the choir. Apprehension of all.