The Eumenides
by Aeschylus · Εὐμενίδες
Assigned by 3 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 458 BCE
- Form
- Tragedy
- Language
- Greek
- Length
- Short · 80 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Oresteia, translated by Robert FaglesPenguin Classics, 1984Vivid and readable, with a long introduction and notes; contains all three plays of the trilogy.
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The final play of the Oresteia. Orestes, having killed his mother, takes refuge at Delphi, pursued by the Furies, ancient goddesses who avenge kindred blood. Apollo sends him to Athens, where Athena, rather than judge the case herself, founds the court of the Areopagus and summons citizen jurors. The Furies prosecute, Apollo defends, the votes are equal, and Athena's vote acquits him. She then persuades the enraged Furies to accept a home and honours in Athens as the Eumenides, the Kindly Ones, and the play ends in a torchlit procession.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Eumenides are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
