Eumenides. 458 B.C. City Dionysia |
Prologue, 1-139. (Pythian prophetess; Apollo, Orestes; Ghost of Clytemnestra, Chorus)
The Pythian prophetess discovers Orestes and the (sleeping) Erinyes in Apollo's inner sanctuary at Delphi.Parodos, 140-178. (Chorus)Apollo advises Orestes to flee to Athens and stand trial.
The Ghost of Clytemnestra reproaches the Erinyes for falling asleep.
The Erinyes awake. They reproach the arrogance of the young god Apollo, who in defiance of justice gives sanctuary to a matrocide. They vow to maintain their pursuit of Orestes.First episode, 179-306. (Apollo, Chorus; Orestes)
Apollo and the Chorus argue the merits of the case: Apollo asserts that the murder of a husband justifies the murder of the mother; the Erinyes judge murder of a blood-kin more abhorrent than murder of a spouse.First stasimon, 307-396. (Chorus)Change of scene to Athens . Orestes supplicates Athena's statue.
Epiparodos , 245-275. The Erinyes follow the blood scent of Orestes to the Areopagus.
Orestes calls on Athena for help.
Anapests, 307-320. They are the just avengers of bloodshed.Second episode, 397-489. (Athena, Orestes, Chorus)The Furies' hymn: daughters of Night, separate from other immortals, they were given the duty of avenging the murder of blood kin, pursuing them in life and death. Theirs is an ancient prerogative.
The Erinyes agree to submit to Athena's judgement. Orestes tells his lineage and of his deed; also of the behest of Apollo. Athena decides the affair is too grave for her to judge alone, so she prepares a jury trial.Second stasimon, 490-565. (Chorus)
If the Erinyes are defeated, there will be license among men to murder. The importance of Justice in controlling the aims of men.Third episode, 566-777. (Athena, Orestes, Apollo, Chorus)
The Erinyes' case: (1) Orestes killed his mother in requital for her slaying of her husband. (2) Since the mother is his blood kin, but the husband was not her blood kin, their vengeance is just.Choral interlude, 778-1020. (Chorus, Athena)Apollo's defense: (1) The deed was done by behest of Zeus, who as the embodiment of Justice cannot have ordered something unjust. (2) The murder of a man, a hero, has more weight than the murder of a woman, an adulteress. (3) The mother is only the nurse of the implanted germ, not the true parent; as Athena, who has no mother, proves. (4) The acquittal of Orestes will result in a treaty between Athens and Argos, much to the benefit of Athena and her city.
Athena establishes the court of the Areopagus. Threats byboth the Erinyes and Apollo in case of defeat. The votes of the jury tie, but Athena casts in Orestes' favor.
Orestes in gratitude vows an eternal treaty with Athens.
Kommos , 778-880. The Erinyes are furious. Athena tries to persuade them to accept an honored position at Athens. The Erinyes finally decide to accept Athena's offer.Exodos, 1021-1047. (Athena, Processional Escort)Kommos , 916-1020. The Erinyes will be eternally honored, and in return will become chthonic deities who are favorable to the soil; and who will intervene favorably on the side of the Fates (their sisters) for the sake of harmony and concord.
Athena and attendants escort the Erinyes to their new home.
Early references to the Erinyes:
Homer, Il . 19.407f: Hera allows Xanthus, the immortal horseof Achilles, to warn his master of approaching death; the Erinyes stop him from speaking.Hesiod, Th . 185: The Erinyes are the daughters of Earth. (In Aeschylus, they are the daughters of Night, though they have chthonic associations: in either case, they belong to the early generations of the gods).
Heraclitus, Fr . 94: If the sun exceeds the measure appointed to it, the Erinyes, the assistants of Dike, keep it in check. They are thus seen as the maintainers of the proper order of the universe.
In 461, Ephialtes, with the support of Pericles, changed the nature of the court of the Areopagus (the "Reform of Ephialtes"). The court before this time had the power to veto legislation which it judged to be not in keeping with the constitution. Stripped of these powers, only its function as the homicide court endured. The Reform stirred great passions in Athens and Ephialtes was assassinated during that same year. The ?Eumenides appears to celebrate the old court and its role in maintaining ?eunomia in the state, much in the way that the Erinyes maintain order in the universe; but Aeschylus' attitude toward the court is much disputed. (See Appendix to H. J. Lloyd-Jones' translation in the Prentice-Hall Series.)
Athens also in 461 contracted a treaty with Argos, the traditional rival of Sparta in the Peloponnese. This act solidified Athens' determination to challenge Sparta as the leader of the Greeks in the period following the Persian War. This was the policy of the party of Ephialtes and Pericles. Some (dubiously) take Aeschylus' support for this policy as support for the party generally, including the Reform of Ephialtes.