The Oresteia

Agamemnon
The murder of Agamemnon, from an 1879 illustration from Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred Church
Written by	Aeschylus
Chorus	Elders of Argos
Characters	Watchman Clytemnestra Herald Agamemnon Messenger Cassandra Aegisthus Soldiers Servants Elders of Argos (Chorus)
Setting	Argos, before the royal palace

The Libation Bearers
Orestes, Electra and Hermes in front of Agamemnon's tomb by Choephoroi Painter
Written by	Aeschylus
Chorus	Slave women
Characters	Orestes Electra Servant Clytemnestra Pylades Cilissa Aegisthus Attendants
Setting	Argos, at the tomb of Agamemnon

The Eumenides
"Orestes wird von den Furien verfolgt" (Orestes Pursued by the Furies) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Written by	Aeschylus
Chorus	The Erinyes
Characters	Priestess Apollo Orestes Ghost of Clytaemnestra Athena Athenian citizens
Setting	before the temple of Apollo at Delphi and in Athens

The Oresteia (Ancient Greek: Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytaemnestra, the murder of Clytaemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of the curse on the House of Atreus and pacification of the Erinyes. This trilogy also shows how the Greek gods interacted with the characters and influenced their decisions pertaining to events and disputes. The only extant example of an ancient Greek theater trilogy, the Oresteia won first prize at the Dionysia festival in 458 BC. Many consider the Oresteia to be Aeschylus' finest work. The principal themes of the trilogy include the contrast between revenge and justice, as well as the transition from personal vendetta to organized litigation.Orestia originally included a satyr play Proteus following the tragic trilogy, but all except a single line of Proteus has been lost.

Agamemnon (Ἀγαμέμνων, Agamemnōn) is the first of the three plays within the Oresteia trilogy. It details the homecoming of Agamemnon, King of Mycene, from the Trojan War. After ten years of warfare, Troy had fallen and all of Greece could lay claim to victory. Waiting at home for Agamemnon is his wife, Queen Clytemnestra, who has been planning his murder. She desires his death to avenge the sacrifice of her daughter Iphigenia, to exterminate the only thing hindering her from commandeering the crown, and finally be able to publicly embrace her long-time-lover Aegisthus.

The play opens to a watchman looking down and over the sea, reporting that he has been lying restless "like a dog" for a year, waiting to see some sort of signal confirming a Greek victory in Troy. He laments the fortunes of the house, but promises to keep silent: "A huge ox has stepped onto my tongue.". The watchman sees a light far off in the distance and is overjoyed at the victory and hopes for the hasty return of his King as the house has "wallowed". Clytaemnestra is introduced to the audience and she declares that there will be celebrations and sacrifices throughout the city as Agamemnon and his army return.