Exam 4: The Civilization of the Greeks

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Aeschylus' Oresteia is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by the ancient playwright Aeschylus. The trilogy consists of three plays: "Agamemnon," "The Libation Bearers" (also known as "Choephoroi"), and "The Eumenides." These plays were first performed in 458 BCE at the Dionysia festival in Athens.

The Oresteia tells the story of the House of Atreus, focusing on King Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War and the subsequent chain of revenge and murder within his family. The narrative arc follows the cycle of bloodshed within the family, starting with Agamemnon's murder by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus, followed by the revenge of Agamemnon's son Orestes, who kills his mother and her lover to avenge his father's death.

The trilogy explores themes of justice, revenge, and the transition from personal vendetta to a system of public justice upheld by a court of law. "The Eumenides," the final play, concludes with the establishment of the Areopagus, a court in Athens, which represents the shift from the old cycle of blood vengeance to a civilized legal system.

The Oresteia is the only surviving trilogy of Greek tragedies by one playwright and is considered one of the greatest achievements of Greek drama. It has been influential in the development of the tragedy as a literary and dramatic form and continues to be studied and performed to this day.