-
News
Greek Mythology
-
Orestes: the last of the Atreids
13-03-2013 17:54Orestes is the last descendant of the House of Atreus that was involved in the family tragedy of power and revenge. He was son of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and his wife Clytemnestra, brother to Iphigeneia and Elektra.
When Paris abducted Helen and the Trojan War broke out, Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, has to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to appease the goddess Artemis to let the fleet sail to Troy. During Agamemnon’s absence at Troy, his wife Clytemnestra invited Aegisthus to rule Argos with her. Aegisthus was the previous ruler of Mycenae and uncle to Agamemnon, who had overthrown him from the throne because of a previous family vengeance.
When Agamemnon returned from Troy, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus murdered him. They intended to slay also Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, who was still a child, but his elder sister Electra saved his life by sending him to his uncle Stophius, King of Phocis. When Orestes was grown, he consulted the Delphic oracle, which confirmed that his destiny was to avenge for his father murder. Orestes returned to Argos and killed his mother Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.
This crime, a son killing his own mother, brought the wrath of the Erinyes (Fuires) down upon Orestes, driving him mad. The Delphic oracle advised him to visit Tauris in Scythia and to bring from there a statue of Artemis that was believed to have fallen from the sky. In this attempt, Orestes and his companion Pylades, were caught and brought to the temple of Artemis where he met his sister Iphigenia. Iphigeneia had been brought there by Artemis at the moment her father was to sacrifice her before sailing off for Troy.
Although Orestes managed to take the statue of Atremis, was not appeased from the Furies who continued to pursue him. So, he took refuge in the Temple of Athena in Athens. The goddess established a court between the Furies and Apollo, whose oracles had driven Orestes to his murderous act and she finally broke the cycle of violence by siding with Orestes.
-
Top bews!
-
Relative articles