Did you know there was an anti-war movement in ancient Greece?

The birthplace of democracy wasn't quite as tolerant of free speech, however. The playwright Euripedes barely got away with criticizing war, greed and political hypocrisy in his 2,400-year-old tragedy "Hecuba." He was persecuted and some of his associates killed.

But it's those themes, paired with the fact that the Prenzie Players staged a production of "Trojan Women," the prequel to "Hecuba," just a month ago, that make this Genesius Guild production particularly relevant for Quad-City audiences.

"Hecuba" picks up where "Trojan Women" leaves off. The city of Troy has been sacked, its leaders and most of its menfolk murdered, and the women, including former queen Hecuba (Kady Patterson), imprisoned until they can be distributed as slaves and concubines to the conquering Greeks.

In the first part of the play, Hecuba endures the sacrifice of her last living daughter, Polyxena (Anna Tunnicliff), who bravely goes to her death rather than live a slave's life. A servant (Kate Farence) then discovers the body of Hecuba's youngest child, Polydorus (Kristen Raccone), washed up on the shore. His slit throat suggests foul play, and Hecuba suspects Polymestor (Bryan Woods), with whom Polydorus was sent to stay to keep him safe in case Troy was attacked. Once Troy fell, the gold that accompanied Polydorus became more valuable than the child's life.

With all her children dead, Hecuba pleads with her captor and master-to-be, Agamemnon (Eddie Staver III), to help her exact revenge on Polymestor, arguing "the law of murder applies to slave and free alike." Agamemnon upholds her gruesome justice that leaves Polymestor blind and childless.

Anna Tunnicliff's crystalline voice and waifish figure (Genesius Guild performs Greek drama traditionally, with the main characters in mask) blend virginal fragility with fierce courage as she chastises her mother for trying to prevent her sacrifice. Tunnicliff, who has literally grown up in the Lincoln Park Classic Theatre, is clearly comfortable with the classic language and performance style. She brings such a tender humanity to the stage you'll wish Polyxena wasn't killed off so quickly.

Without the mask, Kady Patterson would be several decades too young to play Hecuba. But when she dons the wrinkled, tragic visage, she transforms into a mature matriarch, tormented by the loss of her family and city.

Director Michael King staged the play in keeping with Genesius Guild founder Don Wooten's style, with a beginning procession and scenes punctuated by dramatic classical music. This formulaic approach actually heralds back to the original stagings of these plays, which were performed as part of a ritual honoring the god Dionysus.

Euripedes' play, however, doesn't so much flatter the gods as it does question human weakness. Hecuba rails against politicians who betray honor and friendship, too easily swayed by money and public opinion.

Audiences will find many themes that hit home in "Hecuba." Grab a cushion or a lawn chair and spend an hour in the "wasted wilderness of war" created by Genesius Guild.