Oresteia

What Is the Oresteia About?

The trilogy consists of three plays: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides.

In Agamemnon, the Greek king returns from Troy victorious, only to be murdered by his wife Clytemnestra — who has nursed her rage for ten years since Agamemnon sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia to gain favorable winds for the war.

In The Libation Bearers, Orestes returns from exile to avenge his father. Commanded by Apollo, he kills Clytemnestra — his own mother. But the ancient Furies pursue him, demanding blood for blood.

In The Eumenides, Orestes is tried before a jury in Athens, with Apollo defending and the Furies prosecuting. Athena casts the deciding vote for acquittal and persuades the Furies to become benevolent guardians of justice. The cycle of vengeance ends; civic law begins.

Why the Oresteia Still Matters

• Justice vs. revenge: The trilogy traces humanity's evolution from tribal blood-feuds to institutional justice — a transition every society must make.
• Gender and power: Clytemnestra is one of the most complex female characters in ancient literature.
• The origins of law: The Eumenides dramatizes the founding of the Athenian court system — connecting theater to political theory.
• Moral complexity: Every act of violence in the trilogy is both justified and condemned. There are no simple answers.

Why Classical Schools Teach It

The Oresteia is essential reading in the Great Books curriculum. At Saints Classical Academy, it's taught in the rhetoric stage alongside Greek history and philosophy.

• The only complete Greek tragic trilogy — shows how Aeschylus developed ideas across three plays
• Raises foundational questions about justice that connect to Plato and Aristotle
• Develops skills in literary analysis and moral reasoning
• Connects to the study of logic through its complex argumentation