The House of Atreus; Being the Agamemnon, the Libation bearers, and the Furies (eBook)

Aeschylus (c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC), the father of Greek tragedy, crafted a path that many dramatists followed in the classical world. Born into a noble family at Eleusis, near Athens, his early works were likely composed during the period of the Persian invasions of Greece, a theme potent in his only surviving trilogy, 'The Oresteia.' The trilogy comprises 'Agamemnon,' 'The Libation Bearers,' and 'The Eumenides' (often referred to as 'The Furies'), and chronicles the bloody lineage of the House of Atreus, a narrative ripe with themes of justice, power, and the gods' influence on human affairs. Noted for the grandeur of his language and the profundity of his thought, Aeschylus's contributions include expanding the number of actors on stage, thereby allowing for dialogue and dramatic interaction. Of the roughly ninety plays he wrote, only seven have survived in complete form, among them the aforementioned 'Agamemnon,' which details the king's murder upon his victorious return from Troy. Aeschylus's influence on literature is foundational; his works not only shaped the artistic endeavors that followed him but also provided a critical reflection on the moral and social issues of his time. His mastery of the tragic form set the stage for subsequent playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides, and his echoes can be found in Western literature up to the present day.