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The play "The Eumenides" illustrates how the sequence of events in The Oresteia end up in the development of social order or a proper judicial system in Athenian society [1]. In this part of The Oresteia the main character Orestes is hunted down and tormented by the Furies also called "the Erinyes", a trio of goddesses known to be the instruments of justice for killing his mother [2]. However through the intervention of Apollo, Orestes is able to escape them for a brief moment while they are asleep and head to Athens under the protection of Hermes. Seeing the Furies asleep, Clytaemnestra's ghost comes to wake them up to obtain justice on her son Orestes for killing her [3]. After waking up the Furies hunt down Orestes again and when they found him, Orestes pleads to the goddess Athena for help and she responds by setting up a trial for him in Athens. This trial is made up of a group of twelve Athenian citizens and is being supervised by none other than Athena. Here Orestes is used as a trial dummy by Athena to set-up the first courtroom trial. He is also the object of central focus between the Furies, Apollo and Athena [4]. After the trial came to an end the votes were tied and Athena ruled that Orestes would not be killed [5]. This ultimately did not sit well with the Furies, however Athena eventually persuades them to accept the decision and instead of violently retaliating against wrongdoers, constructively be a vigilant force in Athens. She then changed their names from the Furies to "the Eumenides" which means "the Kindly Ones" [6]. Athena then ultimately ruled that all trials must be settled in court rather than be carried out personally [7].


In this play there is one theme that stands out above the rest and that is the theme of 'justice' [8]. However, this branches into two sections, justice through retaliation and justice through the law.

Justice Through Retaliation

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Retaliation is seen in The Oresteia in a slippery slope form, occurring subsequently after the actions of one character to another. In the first play "Agamemnon," it is mentioned how in order to shift the wind for his voyage to Troy, Agamemnon had to sacrifice his innocent daughter Iphigenia [9]. This then caused Clytaemnestra pain and eventually anger which resulted in her plotting revenge on Agamemnon. Therefore she found a new lover Aegisthus. And when Agamemnon returned to Argos from the Trojan War, Clytaemnestra killed him by stabbing him in the bathtub and would eventually inherit his throne [10]. The death of Agamemnon thus sparks anger in Orestes and Electra and this causes them to now plot the death of their mother Clytaemnestra in the next play "Libation Bearers," which would be considered matricide. Through much presssure from Electra and his cousin Pylades Orestes eventually kills his mother Clytaemnestra and her lover Aegisthus in "The Libation Bearers" [11]. Now after committing the matricide, Orestes is being hunted down by the Furies in the third play "The Eumenides", who wish to exact vengeance on him for this crime. And even after he gets away from them Clytaemnestra's spirit comes back to rally them again so that they can kill Orestes and obtain vengeance for her [12]. However this cycle of non-stop retaliation comes to a stop near the end of "The Eumenides" when Athena decides to introduce a new legal system for dealing out justice [13].


Justice Through the Law

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This part of the theme of 'justice' in The Oresteia is seen really only in "The Eumenides," however its presents still marks the shift in themes. After Orestes begged Athena for deliverance from 'the Erinyes,' she granted him his request in the form of a trial [14]. Instead of allowing the Furies to kill Orestes on the spot she decided that she would have an organized jury decide on the verdict before anything happens to Orestes. In addition, Athena set up the ground rules for how the verdict would be decided so that everything would be dealt with fairly. Therefore, after the trial was over and Athena had made her final decision, Orestes was set free and the cycle of senseless retaliation came to a stop [15]. By doing this, Athena was able to teach the jurors how justice should be served and Aeschylus, overall, was able to teach the Athenian audience, how justice should be dealt with in society through his series of plays [16].

Libation Bearers=

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In the second play of Aeschylus' The Oresteia, many years after the murder of Agamemnon, his son, Orestes returns to Argos with his cousin Pylades to exact vengeance on Clytaemnestra, as an order from Apollo, for killing Agamemnon [17]. Upon arriving, Orestes reunites with his sister Electra at Agamemnon's grave, while she was there bringing libations to Agamemnon in an attempt to stop Clytaemnestra's bad dreams [18]. Shortly after the reunion, both Orestes and Electra, influenced by the Chorus, come up with a plan to kill both Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus [19]. Orestes then heads to the palace door where he is unexpectedly greeted by Clytaemnestra. In his response to her he pretends he is a stranger and tells Clytaemnestra that he (Orestes) is dead causing her to send for Aegisthus. Unrecognized, Orestes is then able to enter the palace where he then kills Aegisthus, who was without a guard due to the intervention of the chorus in relaying Clytaemnestra's message [20]. Clytaemnestra then enters the room, however Orestes hesitated to kill her, but through Pylades reminding him of Apollo's orders he eventually did [21]. Consequently, after committing the matricide (killing his mother), Orestes is now the target of the Furies' merciless wrath [22].

  1. ^ Porter, David H. "Aeschylus' "Eumenides": Some Contrapuntal Lines". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 03-12-2016 20:30 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ Henrichs, Albert. "Anonymity and Polarity: Unknown Gods and Nameless Altars at the Areopagos". University of Illinois Press. Retrieved 03-12-2016 21:33 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ Trousdell, Richard. "Tragedy and Transformation: The Oresteia of Aeschylus". C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. Retrieved 03-12-2016 22:43 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ Porter, David. "Aeschylus' "Eumenides": Some Contrapuntal Lines". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 03-12-2016 20:30 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ Hester, D. A. "The Casting Vote". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 04-12-2016 00:31 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ Mace, Sarah. "Why the Oresteia's Sleeping Dead Won't Lie, Part II: "Choephoroi" and "Eumenides"". The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Inc. (CAMWS). Retrieved 04-12-2016 00:58 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ Mace, Sarah. "Why the Oresteia's Sleeping Dead Won't Lie, Part II: "Choephoroi" and "Eumenides"". The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, Inc. (CAMWS). Retrieved 04-12-2016 00:58 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ Euben, J. Peter. "Justice and the Oresteia". American Political Science Association. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:32 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ Scott, William. "Wind Imagery in the Oresteia". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:56 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ Euben, J. Peter. "Justice and the Oresteia". American Political Science Association. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:32 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ Scott, William. "Wind Imagery in the Oresteia". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:56 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ Scott, William. "Wind Imagery in the Oresteia". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:56 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ Euben, Peter. "Justice and the Oresteia". American Political Science Association. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:32 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Porter, David. "Aeschylus' "Eumenides": Some Contrapuntal Lines". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 03-12-2016 20:30 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. ^ Hester, D. A. "The Casting Vote". The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved 04-12-2016 00:31 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. ^ Euben, Peter. "Justice and the Oresteia". American Political Science Association. Retrieved 04-12-2016 05:32 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  17. ^ Vellacot, Philip. "Aeschylus' Orestes". The Johns Hopkins University Press on behalf of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States. Retrieved 06-12-2016 15:51 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ O'Neill, K. "Aeschylus, Homer, and the Serpent at the Breast". Classical Association of Canada. Retrieved 06-12-2016 16:20 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ Kells, J. H. "More Notes on Euripides' Electra". Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association. Retrieved 06-12-2016 16:46 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ H., R. "Orestes Sarcophagus and Greek Accessions". Cleveland Museum of Art. Retrieved 06-12-2016 16:39 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  21. ^ O'Neill, K. "Aeschylus, Homer, and the Serpent at the Breast". Classical Association of Canada. Retrieved 06-12-2016 16:20 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ^ H., R. "Orestes Sarcophagus and Greek Accessions". Cleveland Museum of Art. Retrieved 06-12-2016 16:39 UTC. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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