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 Greek tragedy centers on the fateful theme of avenging the murder of Agamemnon. Orestes, returning from exile, experiences a miraculous reunion with his sister Electra at their father’s grave, where they swear to exact vengeance in accordance with Apollo’s oracle. Together with the chorus, they invoke the aid of their father’s spirit and devise a plan to infiltrate the palace disguised as travelers. Orestes uses a false report of his own death to disarm his targets, successfully slaying the usurper Aegisthus. He then confronts his mother, Clytemnestra, and though he hesitates, he ultimately executes her under the guidance of the oracle. Although Orestes attempts to justify his matricide, he is soon driven to madness by the terrifying apparitions of his mother's Furies (Erinyes). The drama concludes with Orestes fleeing to Delphi for purification, leaving the chorus to ponder the unresolved curse that plagues their royal house.