The Oresteia was written by the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE.

Basic facts

  • The Oresteia is a trilogy of Greek tragedies: Agamemnon , The Libation Bearers , and The Eumenides.
  • It was first performed in Athens in 458 BCE at the Dionysia festival.
  • It is the only complete trilogy of Greek tragedy that has survived from antiquity.

About Aeschylus

  • Aeschylus is often called the “father of tragedy” and was one of the three great Athenian tragedians, alongside Sophocles and Euripides.
  • He wrote over 70 plays, though only seven survive in full, including the three plays of the Oresteia.

Why the Oresteia matters

  • The trilogy follows the cursed house of Atreus and moves from cycles of blood revenge to a civic system of trial and law, ending with the establishment of a court in Athens.
  • Because of this shift from personal vengeance to public justice, the Oresteia is often seen as a foundational text for thinking about law, democracy, and justice in Western culture.

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