| The primary theme of the Orestia Trilogy by | | | | murder, when the action of the Cheophoroe, the |
| Aeschylus is the curse of a heriditary blood-feud in the | | | | second play, took place. Orestes, the son af |
| royal house of Atreus and its final replacement by | | | | Agamemnon, had been living in exile in the nearby |
| public legal process. | | | | kingdom of Phocis. Commanded by the god Apollo, |
| Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, was away for ten | | | | Orestes returns to Mycenae to avenge the murder of |
| years in the Greek military expedition against Troy. | | | | his father. He seeks out his sister Electra, gains |
| During his absence, his cousin Aegisthus returned to | | | | admittance to the palace by disguising himself and kills |
| Mycenae. He began to plot for regaining the throne | | | | his mother Clytemnestra and Aegisthus.. The Furies, |
| and for avenging the horrible treatment meted out to | | | | hideous spirits who hunt down and punish murderers |
| his father Theyestes by his uncle Atrius and of the | | | | now appeared. |
| diabolical murder of his brothers by Atrius. Aegisthus | | | | Eumenides,the third play, begins a few days later. |
| also noticed Clytemnestra's bitter hatred for her | | | | Orestes fled to Delphi to take refuge with Apollo. |
| husband Agamemnon because he sacrificed their | | | | Apollo told him that he must endure one year's torment |
| daughter Iphigenia for obtaining favourable winds and | | | | by the Furies and after that he must go to Athens |
| because of her increasing enmity on receiving reports | | | | where the goddess Athena would shield him. In due |
| of her husband's infidelity with other women during his | | | | course Apollo and the Furies appealed to the goddess |
| campaign at Troy. Thus, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra | | | | for a decision. She appointed the Areopagus, a court |
| came to share the same enmity towards | | | | of Athenian citizens, to judge. The result was a |
| Agamemnon. They soon became lovers and began to | | | | tie-vote whereupon she cast the deciding vote in |
| plot Agamemnon's murder when he returned home. | | | | favour of Orestes. The Furies protested against the |
| After ten years' absence Agamemnon victoriously | | | | subversion of the ancient laws and threatened |
| returned home accompanied by his newest concubine | | | | vengeance upon Athens. But Athena pacified them by |
| Cassandra, the daughter of Priam, king of Troy. | | | | the offer of a position of honour in the cult of her city. |
| Clytemnestra welcomed her husband and unrolled a | | | | The names of the ancient Furies were now changed |
| purple carpet for him. But as he stepped out of the | | | | to the Eumenides, or "Kindly ones" to symbolize their |
| bath, she threw a net over him and beheaded him with | | | | new character. The ancient system of the private |
| an axe. After this, she also killed Cassandra. | | | | blood-revenge was now replaced by public legal |
| Clytemnestra and Aegisthus now became the new | | | | process. |
| rulers of Mycenae. | | | | Would you, dear readers kindly leave your comments |
| About seven years had passed since Agamemnon's | | | | in "rating", which I will value immensely. |