Helen eventually married Menelaos, King of Sparta. Years later, when Helen was seduced by Paris, Prince of Troy, and was taken to Troy, Menelaos sought the help of these men who had previously pursued her love. His brother, Agamemnon, ruler of Argos, who had the largest group of warriors, was chosen to lead the Achaeans in the Trojan War.
The troops, from all of Greece met at Aulis, but due to the unfavorable winds, were not able to set sail. Agamemnon did not know how to solve this inauspicious plight, so he questioned the seer, Calchas, a member of his crew. The seer responded that the goddess, Artemis, was responsible for these winds and in order to satisfy her and change the course of the winds, Agamemnon must make a huge sacrifice to Artemis. He had to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia.
Agamemnon was shocked by this advice and refused to sacrifice his beloved daughter. After all, she was his flesh and blood. However, days went by, and the other Achaean leaders grew annoyed and finally coerced Agamemnon into making this sacrifice. So, Agamemnon sent a messenger to his wife, Clytaemestra, telling her to send his daughter, Iphigenia, to him, for the purpose of marrying the great warrior, Achilles. Tragically, when Iphigenia arrived at the Achaean encampment, she met her death; she was sacrificed to Artemis. The seer’s words were not false. Soon after Iphigenia’s death, the winds changed, and the army was able to set sail for Troy.
At about this same time, Aegisthus, cousin of Agamemnon, returned to Argos, planning to take back what he believed to be his throne and to avenge his father and brothers, whom had been desecrated by Atreus, Agamemnon’s father. He arrived in Argos to find Clytaemestra filled with anguish and abhorrence over the death of her daughter. Over the course of the next few years, her anger and contempt for her husband only increased when she heard of his adultery with other women in Troy. It was during this time that she became lovers with Aegisthus, who hated Agamemnon, and together, they plotted their revenge.
Ten years later, the Trojan War had ended, and Agamemnon began his journey home. With this knowledge, Clytaemestra ordered watchmen to be on the lookout for her husband and to inform her at first sight of him. A year passed, and finally, Agamemnon was seen nearing the shore. The watchmen left their post and gave the news to Clytaemestra and then spread the word throughout the city: Agamemnon had returned! Clytaemestra then ordered a herald to greet her husband and bring him up to the palace, for she had planned a joyous feast in honor of his return.
The whole city rejoiced on the news of Agamemnon’s return, but there were elders in the crowd who saw great darkness ahead and could feel death. These wise elders knew that Clytaemestra had taken a lover, Aegisthus, and knew that he was not sent away despite the news of her husband’s return. They were in the midst of wondering what scheme might be going on behind closed doors when Agamemnon entered the city in his glory, accompanied by his new mistress, Cassandra, a prize from Troy. The crowd cheered, greeting him with merry faces and praise. He was nearing his house when Clytaemestra pushed open the doors, welcoming him and openly professing her love for him and the pain she endured during the many years she had waited for his return.
The queen then led her husband into the house, and the crowd dispersed, all but Cassandra and the elders. The elders stared at the young princess, Priam’s daughter, with wonder, for they had all heard rumors of her prophecies of truth. Then Cassandra spoke to them, relating to them her knowledge of the House of Atreus and its curse, and the doom that was to come that very day. Upon hearing this horrendous prophecy, the men tried to keep her from entering the palace, but she did not relent. A little while later, the men heard screams from inside the palace. Clytaemestra and Aegisthus had murdered Agamemnon in his bath tub and had killed Cassandra along with him. When the doors of the palace opened again, their queen stood at the threshold, drenched in blood and publicly announced the violent acts she committed against her husband and his concubine. She was not at all ashamed of her actions. However, she and her lover were plagued with fear of Orestes’ possible revenge.
Orestes and Pylades disguised themselves as Phocians, and made their way to the palace. When they reached the palace, they knocked at the door, and when it opened, they told the servant that they were visitors from Phocis with important news for the Queen. Upon their entry into the palace, they were greeted by Clytaemestra, who treated them with greatest of hospitality and eagerly listened to their news. Orestes told Clytaemestra that they were Daulian merchants, arriving from Phocis, and on their journey they came across Strophius, their king, who requested that they inform the parents of Orestes of their son’s death. Clytaemestra was pretensefully distraught by this news and sent for Aegisthus to come and question their visitors.
No sooner had Aegisthus arrived when screams were heard from the palace. Aegisthus had been slain.
Clytaemestra, realizing the true identity of her visitors and the trickery they had inflicted on her, sent for a weapon to defend herself. Alas, it was too late, and Orestes and Pylades had already drawn their swords.
Clytaemestra pleaded with Orestes to have mercy on her for she was the woman who bore him and gave him life. However, the prince was quickly reminded by Pylades of his duties to fulfill the oracle, and therefore killed the whore beside her lover.
After he committed these acts, Orestes was tormented by his acts of violence and feeling disconcerted, he fled Argos. Thereafter, he was pursued by the horrific Furies of vengeance. Deeply beset by these relentless creatures, Orestes made his way to the altar of Apollo to seek counsel from the god. It is than that Apollo told Orestes he must block out the torment he faced with the Furies and once he arrived at Athens, his afflictions would cease. With that comforting knowledge, Orestes made his way to the holy, city of Athena.
At the trial, the prosecution was led by the Furies and the defense by Apollo. Athena presided over the courtroom as judge. The Furies opened the trial, and Orestes was questioned. During his interrogation, Orestes admitted to having killed his mother, but he also claimed that Apollo commanded him to do so. The Furies then stated their position, proclaiming that Clytaemestra was innocent because Agamemnon was not a blood relative of Orestes, thus confusing further an already baffled and distraught Orestes. At that point, Apollo took the floor in defense of Orestes and stated that Agamemnon was a great man and his death should not be compared to that of Clytaemestra. He added that all oracles must be fulfilled in agreement with Zeus. Nonetheless, the prosecution rebutted, arguing that Zeus himself conquered his own father, imprisoning him. They then confronted the defense, asking if Orestes ever took into consideration the fact that his mother was his own flesh and blood and had, in fact, given him life. Apollo retorted that a mother is only a cavity for the seed of life planted from the father of the child, thus arguing that Orestes was not guilty of killing a blood relative. Apollo closed his defense by bribing the jurors, promising to bring great prosperity to Athens if they voted in Orestes’ favor.
Athena subsequently ordered the jury to decide, unbiasly and without fear, the verdict of the case, thereupon officially instituting the very first Court of the Areopagus.
When the jury finally came to a decision, the result was six votes for guilty and six votes for not guilty. Therefore, to arbitrate the tie, Athena made the final decision—Orestes was declared to be not guilty and was thereby acquitted.
Orestes was relieved and overjoyed at this verdict and thus swore his city’s unfailing support for the City of Athens. However, the Furies were not so blissful. In fact, they were outraged. It took a great deal of consolation on the part of Athena for the Furies to finally agree to a life of honor. After much persuasion, they were swayed and were renamed as the Eumenides, or “kindly ones”. Everybody then lived happily ever after. Well, so we hope…
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The Libation Bearers
Clytaemestra and Aegisthus ruled over the City of Argos for seven years before Orestes returned to the city, incognito, with his dear friend and protector, Pylades. Having visited Delphi and heard an oracle from the great god, Apollo, he knew what plight was before him and what actions he must take to avenge his father. Upon their arrival at Argos and their visit to Agamemnon’s tomb, they found Electra, youngest daughter of King Agamemnon, pouring out libations to the gods and praying for revenge on Aegisthus and her mother. The siblings were joyously reunited, and in sharing news of each other, Orestes revealed the oracle sent from Apollo that he was to fulfill. Consequently the three, Orestes, Electra and Pylades, plotted their plan and when they had finished, they took their positions.
The Eumenides
Hearing of Orestes’ plight and taking pity on him, Athena greeted him in her temple at the altar where the Prince of Argos was praying. The goddess thereupon confronted the Furies, demanding the reason of their tormenting pursuit on Orestes. After hearing both sides of the story, Athena stated that the matter was too convoluted for just one deity to judge and thereupon appointed twelve citizens of Athens to stand as jurors. There was to be a trial.