Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Agamemnon, Orestes, and Electra explained
The chapter recounts the tragic story of the House of Atreus: Agamemnon's murder by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus upon his return from Troy, the rescue of his son Orestes by his sister Electra, Orestes' vengeful slaying of h
What happens
The chapter recounts the tragic story of the House of Atreus: Agamemnon's murder by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus upon his return from Troy, the rescue of his son Orestes by his sister Electra, Orestes' vengeful slaying of his mother and her paramour, his subsequent persecution by the Furies, and his eventual purification and acquittal through the intervention of Apollo and Minerva. It also includes the recognition scene between Orestes and Electra, and the later adventure in Tauris where Orestes and his friend Pylades are saved by their sister Iphigenia.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Free Will
Orestes is driven by the commands of the Delphic oracle and the Furies, yet his choices and actions lead to his eventual acquittal, highlighting the tension between divine will and human agency.
Jealousy and Revenge
Clytemnestra's betrayal and murder of Agamemnon, and Orestes' subsequent vengeance, are central to the narrative, exploring the cycle of retribution.
Mortality and Immortality
The mortal characters face death and suffering, while divine figures like Minerva and Apollo intervene, and the statue of Diana represents a celestial object of worship.
Characters to notice
- Ulysses
Mentioned indirectly as part of the broader Greek context, but not central to this chapter.
- Phoebus Apollo
His oracle at Delphi commands Orestes to avenge his father and later directs him to Tauris.
- Minerva
She protects Orestes at Athens and casts the deciding vote for his acquittal in the Areopagus.
Key passages
“Agamemnon, the general-in-chief of the Greeks, the brother of Menelaus, and who had been drawn into the quarrel to avenge his brother’s wrongs, not his own, was not so fortunate in the issue.”
Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces and brother of Menelaus, joined the war to avenge his brother's honor rather than his own, but his fate was far from happy.
Introduces Agamemnon's role and foreshadows his tragic end.
“Electra, the sister of Orestes, saved her brother’s life by sending him secretly away to his uncle Strophius, King of Phocis.”
Electra rescued her brother Orestes by secretly sending him to their uncle Strophius, the king of Phocis.
Highlights Electra's pivotal role in preserving Orestes' life.
“This revolting act, the slaughter of a mother by her son, though alleviated by the guilt of the victim and the express command of the gods, did not fail to awaken in the breasts of the ancients the same abhorrence that it does in ours.”
Even though Clytemnestra was guilty and the gods had commanded the act, the killing of a mother by her son was as horrifying to the ancients as it is to us today.
Emphasizes the moral complexity and universal horror of matricide.
“The Eumenides, avenging deities, seized upon Orestes, and drove him frantic from land to land.”
The Furies, goddesses of vengeance, pursued Orestes and drove him mad, forcing him to wander endlessly.
Describes the supernatural punishment for Orestes' crime.
“At length he took refuge with Minerva at Athens. The goddess afforded him protection, and appointed the court of Areopagus to decide his fate.”
Eventually, Orestes sought sanctuary with Minerva in Athens, who protected him and established the Areopagus court to judge his case.
Shows the transition from divine vengeance to human justice.