AESCHYLUS, EUMENIDES

AESCHYLUS was a Greek tragedian who flourished in Athens in the early C5th B.C. Of the 76 plays he is known to have written only seven survive--1. The Persians, 2. Seven Against Thebes, 3. Suppliant Women, 4 - 6. The Oresteia Trilogy (Agamemnon, Libation Bearers or Choephori and The Eumenides), 7. Prometheus Bound. The last of these, however, is usually attributed by modern scholars to an unknown playwright.
TRAGEDIES CONTENTS
EUMENIDES
Synopsis
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
THE PYTHIAN PROPHETESS
APOLLO
ORESTES
SHADE OF CLYTAEMESTRA
CHORUS OF FURIES
ATHENA
ESCORT
APOLLO
ORESTES
SHADE OF CLYTAEMESTRA
CHORUS OF FURIES
ATHENA
ESCORT
SCENE.— (1) The temple of Apollo at Delphi ; (2) Athena’s temple at Athens.
TIME.—The heroic age.
DATE. —458 B.C., at the City Dionysia.
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TIME.—The heroic age.
DATE. —458 B.C., at the City Dionysia.
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ARGUMENT

Franz Marc - in the forest

The priestess of Apollo discovers Orestes as a suppliant in the inner shrine of the god at Delphi, and fronting him the Erinyes of his mother, a band of fearsome creatures who, wearied with the pursuit of the fugitive, have fallen on sleep. Under promise of his support, Apollo bids Orestes flee to Athens, where he shall submit his case to judgment and be released from his sufferings. The ghost of Clytaemestra rises to upbraid the sleeping Erinyes because of their neglect, whereby she is dishonoured among the other dead. Awakened by her taunts, they revile Apollo for that he has given sanctuary to a polluted man whom they rightly pursue by reason of their office—to take vengeance on all who shed kindred blood.
The scene shifts to Athens, whither his pursuers have tracked their prey. Orestes, clasping the ancient image of Pallas, implores her protection on the plea that the blood upon his hands has long since been washed away by sacred rites and that his presence has worked harm to none who have given him shelter. The Erinyes chant a hymn to bind the soul of their victim with its maddening spell.
In answer to Orestes’ call, the goddess appears and with the consent of the Erinyes undertakes to judge the case, not by herself alone but with the assistance of a chosen number of her best citizens who are to constitute the jury.
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enneade with birds |
The scene shifts to Athens, whither his pursuers have tracked their prey. Orestes, clasping the ancient image of Pallas, implores her protection on the plea that the blood upon his hands has long since been washed away by sacred rites and that his presence has worked harm to none who have given him shelter. The Erinyes chant a hymn to bind the soul of their victim with its maddening spell.
In answer to Orestes’ call, the goddess appears and with the consent of the Erinyes undertakes to judge the case, not by herself alone but with the assistance of a chosen number of her best citizens who are to constitute the jury.










