The Eumenides
Synopsis:
In Aeschylus’s concluding Greek tragedy The Eumenides, the third play in the Oresteia trilogy, the tormented Orestes flees to Athens seeking refuge from the relentless Furies who pursue him for matricide, appealing to Athena for judgment in a trial that pits ancient blood vengeance against emerging civic justice. The goddess convenes a court on the Areopagus with Athenian citizens as jurors, where Apollo defends Orestes and the Furies argue for primal retribution. Exploring profound themes of justice, forgiveness, civilization’s progress, and the reconciliation of old gods, this visionary drama resolves tragic cycles of violence and paved the way for a system of Greek justice that reaches down the corridors of time right to our Western world today.
Video
Review
When I first started The Oresteia trilogy, I wasn’t sure if I was going to understand it enough or even enjoy it. Agamemnon was ok, but I really enjoyed The Libation Bearers; and with The Eumenides, I enjoyed this as well and saw the complete arc that Aeschylus was doing. So far, this year, I started with Homer’s two epics, working my way to Plato and Aeschylus was the next stop on that road.
The journey that Aeschylus is taking the Greek people from a young civilization that carries out family revenge through a blood avenger as a means of proto-justice and here, the next movement into a justice through trials and courts is seen starting here with Orestes being caught between Apollo and The Harpies and a trial led by impartial Athena on the Areopagus. The stilted and awkward trial is beautifully done on purpose and highlighted with a line that promises that not everyone will be happy with the outcome, but that this means stops the never-ending blood avenging that was asked about in the previous installment of the story. I was quite pleased with reading this, and in the arc coming to an end. I see the stepping stone of why this is on the path to Plato and the building up of the Western world.
Final Grade
A
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