The Orestia - Paperback

by Aeschylus (Author)

The Orestia is a trilogy of plays written by the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. The three plays, Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides, tell the story of the House of Atreus and the curse that plagues the family. The first play, Agamemnon, begins with the return of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, from the Trojan War. His wife, Clytemnestra, plots to kill him in revenge for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia to the gods. The second play, The Libation Bearers, follows their children, Orestes and Electra, as they seek revenge for their father's death. The final play, The Eumenides, deals with the consequences of Orestes' actions and his trial in the court of Athena. The Orestia is a powerful exploration of justice, revenge, and the role of the gods in human affairs. It is considered one of the greatest works of Western literature and has influenced countless writers, philosophers, and artists over the centuries.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Front Jacket

One of the founding documents of Western culture and the only surviving ancient Greek trilogy, the "Oresteia of Aeschylus is one of the great tragedies of all time.
The three plays of the "Oresteia portray the bloody events that follow the victorious return of King Agamemnon from the Trojan War, at the start of which he had sacrificed his daughter Iphigeneia to secure divine favor. After Iphigeneia's mother, Clytemnestra, kills her husband in revenge, she in turn is murdered by their son Orestes with his sister Electra's encouragement. Orestes is pursued by the Furies and put on trial, his fate decided by the goddess Athena. Far more than the story of murder and vengeance in the royal house of Atreus, the "Oresteia serves as a dramatic parable of the evolution of justice and civilization that is still powerful after 2,500 years.
The trilogy is presented here in George Thomson's classic translation renowned for its fidelity to the rhythms and multilayered richness of the original Greek.