CLA101H5 Lecture 5: Lecture 5 / Tutorial 5
Document Summary
Aeschylus the furies (eumenides) (458 bce) plot summary. Pre-history: encouraged by the god apollo, orestes has killed his mother clytemnestra for having murderer his father (and her husband) agamemnon (who himself had sacri ced orestes" sister iphigenia so that the greek eet could get to troy). After this matricide, orestes is being pursued by the furies (erinyes), earth-deities who avenge the spilling of kindred blood. [all of this was the subject of the two preceding plays (agamemnon and libation bearers). ] Start of the play: orestes has ed to the temple of apollo at delphi, with the furies in constant pursuit of him. Apollo attempts to purify orestes in delphi, but he nonetheless has to leave for athens. Here athena, the patron deity of the city, sets up a trial before the areopagus, a newly-founded court which is composed of athenian citizen-jurors and athena herself. Apollo speaks for orestes, while the furies make the case of.
