“The Oresteia Trilogy” A Reflection of Ancient Greek Society

 Andrew Stutts

            “The Oresteia Trilogy” was written by Aeschylus who was “one of the greatest tragedians of fifth century Athens” (Davis 798).  Aeschylus wrote over seventy plays but only seven of these treasured works of literature have survived, including “The Oresteia Trilogy”, for modern humanity to enjoy.  “The Oresteia Trilogy” is actually three separate plays: “King Agamemnon”, “The Libation Bearers”, and “The Eumendides”.   The first play in the trilogy, “King Agamemnon”, is the story about the murder of King Agamemnon by his wife Clytemnestra.  In the second play, “The Libation Bearers”, Orestes avenges the death of his father Agamemnon and kills his mother Clytemnestra.  The trilogy reaches its conclusion, in “The Eumendides”, with the trial of Orestes for the murder of his mother.  “The Oresteia Trilogy” is important to the Humanities branch of academic learning and area of interest for numerous reasons.  One main reason is it provides a glimpse into the ancient Greek perspective, especially their ideology and way of life.   The reason “The Oresteia Trilogy” offers a glimpse into the ancient Greek perspective is because it reflects their views on fate, justice, and taboos.  (Davis) 

            To fully appreciate how “The Oresteia Trilogy” relates Greek concepts of fate it is important to recount and study the legend of the family involve in the story.  The aftermath of “The Oresteia Trilogy” is a consequence of events supposedly resulting from a curse on the House of Atreus.  Perhaps one of the most infamous families in western literature, the House of Atreus was a royal family in Mycenae, Greece.  As a result of ancestral crimes, their family by all accounts was burdened with a legendary curse.   This curse appears to be the origin of a succession of murder and revenge that did not stop until the intervention of the Goddess Athena.  (Haverford College)

            The curse began with the family first known patriarch Tantalus, a mortal son of the god Zeus.  He tried to prove his cleverness over the gods by serving them a meal consisting of his own son Pelops.  However, this ruse did not fool the gods and they restored Pelop’s to life.  Furthermore, displeased with Tantalus’s evil and deceitful behavior, they sent him to the underworld.  There he was punished for his crime with thirst and hunger.  In the underworld he was made to stand in water up to his neck that went down when he attempted to drink and near a fruit tree that receded when he tried to eat from it. (Haverford College)

            When Tantalus’s son Pelops grew into manhood, he desired to marry a woman named Hippodameia.  Her father, king Oenomaus, required all her suitors to compete in a chariot race against him.  If the suitor lost the race he was to be killed.  There were many suitors that had accepted the challenge before Pelops and they all failed.   Pelops made a deal with Myrtilus, the king’s charioteer, and convinced him to sabotage the king’s chariot.  The king was sub sequentially killed in the race and Pelops claimed his bride.  Furthermore, Pelops killed Myrtilus instead of honoring his agreement with him.  For this reason Myrtilus cursed Pelops and his family line before he drowned. (Haverford College)

            The family curse was then passed onto Pelops’s sons, Atreus and Thyestes.  Both of Pelop’s sons had a murderous nature.  This pair of brothers had many quarrels and eventually turned their murderous nature towards each other.  In fact, Atreus even cooked and served Thyestes’s children to him.  (Haverford College)

            The sons of Atreus, Agamemnon and Menelaus, when they were grown expelled Thyestes.  They did so with the help of the Spartan king Tyndareus.  Then they each married one of his daughters and inherited kingdoms.  Agamemnon married Clytemnestra and became king of Mycenae.  Menelaus married Helen and became the king of Sparta.  (Haverford College)

When Helen was abducted from Menelaus the Greeks declared war against Troy.  Agamemnon sacrificed his own daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess Artemis for weather that would allow the Greek fleet to sail to Troy. Upon Agamemnon’s triumphant return from Troy, Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus murdered him.  Thus this treacherous act begins “The Oresteia Trilogy”.  (Haverford College)

Fate was an important concept in ancient Greece.  The ancient Greeks beliefs about fate were personified in the Moirai or Fates, three sister goddesses who controlled the destiny of all men and gods.  The three goddesses that made up the Moirai were Klotho, Lakhesis, and Atropos.  The first sister was Klotho or ‘Spinner’ spun the thread of life.   The second sister was Lakhesis or ‘Apportioner of Lots’ measured the thread of life.  The third sister was Astropos or ‘she who cannot be turned’ cut the thread of life.  (Atsma)

The ancient Greeks believe that when someone was born the Moirai spun the thread of that person future life.  Furthermore, Moirai kept track of their life and allotted the consequences of their actions according to the counsel of the gods.  A persons’ fate was not unyielding though.  Zeus, if he wanted to, could save even those about to be overcome by their fate.  The Fates, who had absolute authority over everyone’s destiny, determined the fortune of mortals conditionally.  This means that everyone had the freedom to exert some influence upon their own destiny.  (Atsma)

The Moirai, who were self-governing, guided fate, and ensured that all fate appointed be eternal laws were dealt without any hindrances.  Even the mighty Zeus had to submit to the decrees of the Moirai.  The Moirai administer bad fate and then assign the task of punishing evil deeds to the Furies.  Therefore the Furies or Erinyes were only performing their allotted function when they relentless pursued Orestes in “The Oresteia Trilogy” for the murder of his mother.  (Atsma)

The ancient Greek concept of fate was not just fatalistic or beyond ones control.  Fate was a result of how one lived there life.   An interesting aspect to fate in ancient Greece is that ones actions could influence the fate of their descendents.  However, just because one was born ill-fated did not mean they could not improve their own destiny.  One thing interesting to note is that fate was not just accepted.  In ancient Greece one lived a courageous life by defying fate. There are numerous examples in ancient Greek mythology and literature that striving to defy fate was the standard of a heroic life.   

Fate is often compared to karma.  Karma is a religious/philosophically term barrowed from India.  Despite the modern, common, and casual use of this word, karma is a deep and complex term to fully understand.  However, Wikipedia provides good starting point in understanding karma with its definition and origin of the word karma.  “Karma (Sanskrit: ka`rma, Ka`rman- “act, action, performance”, Pali: kamma) in Indian religions is the concept of “action” or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called samsara) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist philosophies.”  (Karma Wikipedia)  Furthermore, “’Karma’ is an Eastern religious concept in contradistinction to 'faith' espoused by Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), which view all human dramas as the will of God as opposed to present - and past - life actions.  In Eastern beliefs, the karmic effects of all deeds are viewed as actively shaping past, present, and future experiences.  The results or 'fruits' of actions are called karma-phala” (Karma Wikipedia) Even though karma has its origins in India, the concept that the word describes is shared by various ancient and modern societies including ancient Greece.  Karma in its most basic form is cause and effect.  Many view it as a buildup of positive or negative deeds or actions that result in corresponding consequences.  

Many would describe the elements of fate in The Oresteia Trilogy and events leading up to it as Karma.  The fate of the Atreus family seems similar to the concept of karma.  Furthermore, the karma in “The Oresteia Trilogy” could be described as collective or inherited in the family line.  Although most consider karma an individual experience, it appears in the case of the Atreus family curse that one’s actions have consequences for not only themselves but their decedents.

Another possible view of this legend is that the individuals are responsible for their own bad fate.  Furthermore, the only thing they inherited was their bad character and malevolent natures.  These inherited traits and their own choices were the only things that led to their bad karma or fate. This interpretation of the legend leaves open the possibility of the individual having influence on their own fate. 

            Throughout history mankind has deeply contemplated and mused over the perplexing issue of justice.  Furthermore, through the ages there are copious amount of examples of mankind displaying his preoccupation with justice in art and literature.  “The Oresteia Trilogy” is one of the earliest works of literature with justice as its prevailing theme.  The fundamental focus of The Oresteia Trilogy was justice.  In the trilogy the plot intensifies as the characters seek out their own justice by killing those that have transgressed against them.  A worthy topic to investigate is the view and evolution of justice in “The Oresteia Trilogy”.  (CharLamb in Law)

Justice is a confounding topic to scrutinize.  It is a challenge to explain what justice means to any one society.  Even within societies groups and individuals conception of justice may differ.  Also, many times justice is biased by the situation or individuals involved.  The conception of Justice is just too difficult to grasp, much less describe, due its imprecise nature.   Justice remains a perplexing topic to understand due to the shifting variable involved.  (CharLamb in Law)

Because of these shifting variables, our own modern standard of justice should first be examined.  “The Cambridge Dictionary gives two definitions of justice: ‘fairness in the way people are dealt with’ and ‘the systems of laws in a country which judges punishes people.’”  (CharLamb in Law)   These two definitions seem to provide a clear and simple enough understanding of justice but simple definitions will never provide one with a complete understanding of justice.  Furthermore, these two definitions are fundamental true but many times are at odds with each other.  Throughout much of history justice has been divided into the two opposing conceptions of legality and fairness.  (CharLamb in Law)

Legality is the easiest of the pair to comprehend.  Most individuals are aware that to preserve society it is essential that laws are adhered to and the sacrifice of certain individual liberties is a must. “Locke in Of Civil Government wrote: But because no political society can exist without having the power to preserve the property and also punish the offenses of all those of that society, there and there only is a political society where every one of the members has given up his natural power, surrendering it into the hands of the community…And thus, all private judgment of every particular member being excluded, the community comes to be umpired by settled standing rules, impartial and the same to all parties, and by men having authority from the community for the execution of those rules.”  (CharLamb in Law)

Concerning the duo of legality and fairness, fairness is the most difficult aspect of justice to understand and administer.  However, even today we strive to include the concept of fairness in justice.   “Inscribed on the exterior of the United States Department of Justice Building in Washington, DC, is a line from Plato. This text reads, “Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as it first resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.” (CharLamb in Law)  This quote from Plato suggests that besides legality our goals regarding justice also include a quest for fairness.  However, fairness in regards to justice requires a differentiation between good and bad, right and wrong.  Thus the characterization of justice remains a dilemma for humanity due to its predisposition for individual interpretation.  (CharLamb in Law)

The Oresteia Trilogy illustrates that humanity has struggled with concept of legality and fairness in justice for a long time.  The story also shows that two principles are difficult to balance.  Orestes killing his mother is most heinously wrong in the sense of legality.    However, fairness is lacking if Orestes is not allowed retribution for the death of his father.  Therefore, The Oresteia Trilogy sets in motion the struggle between legality and fairness in justice.  This creates a platform for the contemplation of this grand concern.

 “A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and forbidden.   Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society.”  (Taboo Wikipedia)  “Mores (singular moss) is the Latin term for societal norms, customs, virtues or values.  Mores derive from the established practices of a society rather than its written laws.  They consist of shared understandings about the kinds of behavior likely to evoke approval, disapproval, toleration or sanction, within particular contexts.”  (Mores Wikipedia)  One can often discern a society’s taboos and mores taboos from their literature and “The Oresteia Trilogy” is no exception.  Throughout “The Oresteia Trilogy” there are examples of things that are considered taboo or forbidden to the ancient Greeks.  In fact, the members of the cursed Atreus line broke most of the major taboos in ancient Greek society; rape, incest, matricide, fratricide, and cannibalism.  The fact that the Atreus line broke actually taboos is evident in the consequence of their negative fate resulting from their actions.  In “The Oresteia Trilogy” there are also examples of mores, or things considered socially acceptable, even blood crimes.

Some blood crime among family members were acceptable or at least tolerated, while others were taboo or strictly forbidden.  Obviously sacrificing one’s own child to win the favor of the gods was acceptable, at least in some circumstances.  A prime example is when Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis for favorable winds to launch his fleet against Troy.  Agamemnon received no censure or punishment prior to his wife murdering him.  Furthermore, not once in “The Oresteia Trilogy” does it allude to his sacrificial killing of his daughter as a crime.  However, killing one’s mother is another matter altogether.  In ancient Greece, Orestes revenge killing of his mother Clytemnestra is viewed as one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed.  This is demonstrated by the fact that the Furies pursue him relentlessly.   In fact, the Furies primary role and preoccupation was to punish perpetrators of blood crimes against kin.

Concerning whether an offence is taboo or acceptable none are more inequitable between the sexes as infidelity.  Extra-curricular marital activity was acceptable for men but not show much for women.  Agamemnon brought back Cassandra as a trophy from the Trojan War and to serve as his concubine.  This was socially acceptable in Greek society.  However, Clytemnestra’s scandalous act of taking on a lover was look upon with contempt and loathing.  The contempt for Clytemnestra’s prolonged infidelity with Agamemnon’s cousin, Aegisthus, was not only apparent in “The Oresteia Trilogy” but also in other works of ancient Greek literature such as “The Odyssey of Homer”. 

“The Oresteia Trilogy” also expresses an evolution in justice.  In “The Oresteia Trilogy”, Orestes’s trial for matricide was held in the court of the Areopagus in Athens.  The dramatization of the trial in the trilogy symbolizes ancient Greeks “society’s transitions from a tribal form of justice that enforced an ironclad prohibition of blood crimes against immediate kin to a civic system of justice that recognized mitigating factors in homicide cases-even those involving immediate family members.  In the course of the three plays , the furies (the Erinyes) , serpent-haired female monsters charged with avenging blood crimes against kin, serve as ministers of the archaic law, while the gods Apollo and Athena represent the new law-one based on trial and persuasion” (Davis 802)

In summary, Aeschylus, one of the greatest play-writes of fifth century Athens, wrote over seventy plays including the three that make up “The Oresteia Trilogy”.  The plays that constitute “The Oresteia Trilogy” are “King Agamemnon”, “The Libation Bearers”, and “The Eumendides”.  The trilogy begins with Clytemnestra murdering her husband King Agamemnon, in “King Agamemnon”.  The second part of the trilogy, “The Libation Bearers” is about Orestes avenging is father Agamemnon by killing his mother Clytemnestra.  The trilogy reaches its apex with the trial of Orestes for killing his mother, in “The Eumendides”.  “The Oresteia Trilogy” stands out as a significant contribution to the Humanities field of study and area interest for a variety of reason.  “The Oresteia Trilogy’s” relevance lies in its capacity to impart the ancient Greek viewpoint and their beliefs.  Finally, “The Oresteia Trilogy” is able to provide the ancient Greek outlook because it conveys their beliefs and ideas concerning fate, justice, and taboos.

Works Cited

“Aeschylus, Agamemnon and The Eumenides." The Bedford Anthology of World Literature The Ancient World, Beginnings-100 C.E. Eds. Paul Davis, Gay Harrison, David M. Johnson, Patricia C. Smith, John F. Crawford, and THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2004. 798-890.

CharLamb in Law, . "Justice:Legality and Fairness in Aeschylus." Socyberty:Law. 19 Jan. 2008. Socyberty. 1 Jan. <http://socyberty.com/law/justice-legality-and-fairness-in-aeschylus/>.

Haverford College, . "The Curse of the House of Atreus." GUIDE TO THE ANCIENT WORLD. 2006. Haverford College. 2006. <http://www.haverford.edu/classics/courses/2006F/csts215/handouts/House_of_Atreus.pdf>.

"Mores." Wikipedia 8 Sep. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mores>.

"Taboo." Wikipedia 8 Sep. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo>.

"Karma." Wikipedia 8 Sep. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma>.

Atsma, Aaron J. "Moirrai." THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY ; Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. Theoi Project. 7 Sep. 2009 <http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html>.