Source edition
Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This tragedy depicts the return of Agamemnon, the victorious Greek commander of the Trojan War, the brutal assassination that awaits him, and the relentless cycle of blood curses haunting the House of Atreus. Set in front of the palace of Argos, the play begins as the Chorus reflects on the hardships of the expedition and the tragic sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter, Iphigenia. Upon his arrival, his queen, Clytemnestra, stages a grand but hypocritical welcome, persuading her hesitant husband to tread upon a luxurious purple tapestry that risks provoking the wrath of the gods. Meanwhile, the captive Trojan princess and prophetess, Cassandra, enters a state of prophetic frenzy, foreseeing the imminent murder of the king, her own death, and the future return of the avenger Orestes. Soon after, Agamemnon is slain inside the palace by Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus, who both proudly justify the regicide as a righteous act of vengeance. The drama concludes on an ominous note of unresolved tension, as the Chorus foretells future retribution while the new rulers assert their tyrannical control over Argos.