Aeschylus, Eumenides

AESCHYLUS, EUMENIDES The Eumenides was the third play in the tetralogy which included the Agamemnon, Choephoroi, and Proteus, produced in 458 B.C. The satyr play does not survive. The Eumenides concerns itself with the wanderings and eventual liberation of Orestes from his responsibility/guilt for the destruction of his mother Clytaemestra, thanks to the intervention of Athena and the first homicide court, the Areopagus of Athens. This play (remarkably) has two different places where the action takes place, and two different choruses. Cf. Anne Lebeck, The Oresteia: A Study in Language and Structure (Washington: Center for Hellenic Studies 1971), Ch. 13-18. Section: PROLOGOS PARODOS EPISODE I STASIMON Content of sections: [scene is Delphi] (A) The PYTHIA, Priestess of Delphi 1-63 (B) Apollo, Hermes, Orestes, Ghost of Clytaemestra 64-139 CHORUS of Furies (Eumenides) and APOLLO The Binding Spell [Now the scene is Athens] (A) ORESTES, Chorus of Furies 235-396 Old notion of justice must be abandoned (269) The THESMOS on which their power rests (390) (B) ATHENE, Orestes 397-489 CHORUS of Furies 'Now comes the downfall of new laws' (49091) 'Hybris is Impiety's child, his name true indication of his nature.' (533) Lines 1-139 140234 235489 490565 EPISODE 2 ATHENE, CHORUS of ATHENIAN JURORS, ORESTES, APOLLO 566777 Apollo would bribe the court: (668-673) Athene: "Now hear my THESMOS, Attic people, judging the first trial for blood that's shed' (681682) Erinyes threaten the court: 711-712, 719-720 Erinyes bring up two old scandals: Zeus & Kronos (640-1) Apollo & Moirai (723-8) STASIMON 2 EXODOS: CHORUS: LAMENT FOLLOWING THE TRIAL ATHENA: RECONCILIATION WITH ATHENS AND A NEW THESMOS Erinyes: 'My hate is going' (900) CHORUS OF WOMEN THEMES: transformation from Furies into Eumenides narrow view of DIKE ('justice') vs. broad view of justice. retribution justice vs. compensation justice savagery & monstrous behavior vs. rational civilized behavior 7781031 10321047