Agamemnon by Aeschylus

Description

Agamemnon by Aeschylus, was first written in 458 BC, and stands as the opening tragedy in the celebrated Oresteia trilogy. Rooted deeply in the traditions of ancient Greek drama, it presents the return of King Agamemnon from the Trojan War and the tragic unraveling of his household. The play draws heavily on long-established mythic cycles surrounding the House of Atreus, exploring themes of vengeance, divine justice, and the fragile line between order and chaos. Its language and structure helped establish the foundations of classical tragedy, shaping how audiences for centuries understood dramatic tension, moral conflict, and the darker undercurrents of heroic legend. Aeschylus, often regarded as the father of Greek tragedy, uses this work to explore the cost of war, the bitterness of betrayal, and the uneasy relationship between fate and human will. The drama’s powerful imagery and choral passages evoke the weight of ancestral guilt, making it a cornerstone for readers interested in ancient literature, mythological epics, and classic theatre. Its influence can be traced through later poetry, modern retellings, and scholarly discussions on justice, kingship, and the enduring impact of Greek mythology. This translation by E. D. A. Morshead was first published in 1909.

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