Aeschylus, Agamemnon

At about the age of 67, in 458 B.C. Aeschylus produced the tetralogy: Agamemnon, Coephoroi, Eumenides (and the satyr-play Proteus) on the subject of the descendants of Tantalus and Pelops: Agamemnon, Clytaemestra, Aegistheus, Orestes and Electra. The tetralogy won the first prize, as a surviving inscription (`Didaskaliai') indicates.

PROLOGOS	The Watchman It is the 10th year of the Trojan War, high summer. For a year the watchman has been awaiting the signal to indicate that Troy has fallen. It comes. Joy that the king will be returning soon, but apprehension because of a tale the man could tell of doings at Argos. A loyal dog (cf. 1237-1238)	1-39
PARODOS	Chorus of Argive men Agamemnon & Menelaus like `vultures'; revenge, a stabbing. Fury for the rape of Helen of Sparta. They too know something about Clytaemestra that will not please the king (148-156). The story of Iphigenia's sacrifice by her father Agamemnon--the cause of Clytaemestra's anger (185-247)	40-257
EPISODE I	Clytaemestra, Chorus No one takes me in with visions, senseless dreams (275). Imagined tale of the Fall of Troy (325-348). "If only they are revering the city's gods, the shrines of the gods who love the conquered land (341-342). `The avenging dead may never rest' (350). Chorus: `Spoken like a man, my lady! '	258-354
STASIMON I	Chorus: "O Zeus our King, and Night beloved..." 355-502 Paris & Helen: 394-410 Anti-war sentiments: 415-466 `The people's voice is heavy with hatred...'	355-502
EPISODE II	Herald, Clytaemestra, Chorus 503-680 Troy: `The shrines of her gods and the high altars, gone!' (518; cf. 341 ff.; cf. temple doors 570-573) The rigors of war: hunger, cold, death: 546-565 Clytaemestra: `And for his wife, may he return and find her true...' (601- 604) Departure from Troy: storm, disaster, wreck (620-1; 650-674)	503-680
STASIMON II	Chorus The crime of Paris & Helen: violence, justice `The house swam with blood...' (728) `Only the reckless act can breed impiety, multiplying crime on crime, while the house kept straight and just is blessed with radiant children...' (751-754) `...but the good shepherd knows his flock...' (779) `Search, my king, and learn at last who stayed at home and kept their faith and who betrayed the city (792-4)	681-810
EPISODE III	Agamemnon and Clytaemestra (Cassandra) `the Just gods' (797) `we were right' (809) For Argos, a national inquiry (831-836) Clytaemestra: a woman at home during the war (848-864; 886-897) `and so, our child is gone...' (865!) Orestes (867-877) Hybris/hamartia: the tapestry (901-957). Justice lead him in!	811-974
STASIMON III	Chorus: Terror. Justice comes to birth. Man's fate: wreck on the reefs.	975-1033
EPISODE IV	Clytaemestra, Cassandra, Chorus Cassandra: seer, slave (Slave of the god Apollo, slave of Ag & Cly) `the House that hates god' (1088). She sees her own death (future) and what is happening to Agamemnon in his bath in the house (present): (1110 ff.) The Nightingale (1144-1150) Cassandra and Apollo: love &' deceit (1207- 1222) The Fury is Clytaemestra: `The woman kills the man' (1241) `Raging mother of death, storming deathless war against the ones she loves! And how she howled in triumph' (1245-1246) She is the lioness (1271-1274; cf. 713-732 and shepherd imagery)	1034-1345
STASIMON IV	Chorus: tyranny: lust for power never dies	1346-1371
EXODOS	(A) Clytaemestra & Chorus 1372-1576 exultation at her murder of the king; swan-song of Cassandra, `Agamemnon's lover' Justification: Atreus & Thyestes, Iphigenia (1531-1533, 1551-1555, 1579-1587) (B) Aegistheus, Clytamestra, Chorus 1577-1673 [story of Atreus & Thyestes, 1583-1602] Aegistheus himself is the `Weaver of Justice' (cf. Three Fates); he murdered the king. As Tyrants, he and Clytaemestra will teach Argos how to behave; the chorus `barks' absurdly, insubordinate dogs. `The women, the corruption of Greece' Clytaemestra: What we did was destiny. The return of ORESTES, the Exile, hinted at.	1372-1673

PROLOGOS

The Watchman
It is the 10th year of the Trojan War, high summer. For a year the watchman has been awaiting the signal to indicate that Troy has fallen. It comes. Joy that the king will be returning soon, but apprehension because of a tale the man could tell of doings at Argos. A loyal dog (cf. 1237-1238)

1-39

PARODOS

Chorus of Argive men
Agamemnon & Menelaus like `vultures'; revenge, a stabbing. Fury for the rape of Helen of Sparta. They too know something about Clytaemestra that will not please the king
(148-156).
The story of Iphigenia's sacrifice by her father Agamemnon--the cause of
Clytaemestra's anger (185-247)

40-257

EPISODE I

Clytaemestra, Chorus
No one takes me in with visions, senseless dreams (275). Imagined tale of the
Fall of Troy (325-348). "If only they are revering the city's gods, the
shrines of the gods who love the conquered land (341-342). `The avenging dead
may never rest' (350). Chorus: `Spoken like a man, my lady! '

258-354

STASIMON I

Chorus: "O Zeus our King, and Night beloved..."
355-502
Paris & Helen: 394-410
Anti-war sentiments: 415-466
`The people's voice is heavy with hatred...'

355-502

EPISODE II

Herald, Clytaemestra, Chorus 503-680
Troy: `The shrines of her gods and the high altars,
gone!' (518; cf. 341 ff.; cf. temple doors
570-573)
The rigors of war: hunger, cold, death: 546-565
Clytaemestra: `And for his wife, may he return and find her
true...'
(601-
604)
Departure from Troy: storm, disaster, wreck (620-1;
650-674)

503-680

STASIMON II

Chorus
The crime of Paris & Helen: violence, justice
`The house swam with blood...' (728)
`Only the reckless act can breed impiety, multiplying crime on crime, while the
house kept straight and just is blessed with radiant children...'
(751-754)
`...but the good shepherd knows his flock...' (779)
`Search, my king, and learn at last who stayed at home and kept their faith and
who betrayed the city (792-4)

681-810

EPISODE III

Agamemnon and Clytaemestra (Cassandra)
`the Just gods' (797) `we were right' (809)
For Argos, a national inquiry (831-836)
Clytaemestra: a woman at home during the war (848-864; 886-897)
`and so, our child is gone...' (865!) Orestes (867-877)

Hybris/hamartia: the tapestry (901-957). Justice lead him
in!

811-974

STASIMON III

Chorus:
Terror. Justice comes to birth. Man's fate: wreck on the reefs.

975-1033

EPISODE IV

Clytaemestra, Cassandra, Chorus
Cassandra: seer, slave (Slave of the god Apollo, slave of Ag & Cly) `the House that hates god' (1088). She sees her own death (future) and what is happening to Agamemnon in his bath in the house (present): (1110 ff.)
The Nightingale (1144-1150)
Cassandra and Apollo: love &' deceit (1207- 1222)
The Fury is Clytaemestra: `The woman kills the man' (1241)
`Raging mother of death, storming deathless war against the ones she loves! And how she howled in triumph' (1245-1246)
She is the lioness (1271-1274; cf. 713-732 and shepherd imagery)

1034-1345

STASIMON IV

Chorus: tyranny: lust for power never dies

1346-1371

EXODOS

(A) Clytaemestra & Chorus 1372-1576

exultation at her murder of the king; swan-song of Cassandra, `Agamemnon's
lover'
Justification: Atreus & Thyestes, Iphigenia
(1531-1533, 1551-1555, 1579-1587)

(B) Aegistheus, Clytamestra, Chorus 1577-1673

[story of Atreus & Thyestes, 1583-1602]
Aegistheus himself is the `Weaver of Justice' (cf. Three Fates); he murdered the king.
As Tyrants, he and Clytaemestra will teach Argos how to behave; the chorus `barks' absurdly, insubordinate dogs.
`The women, the corruption of Greece'
Clytaemestra: What we did was destiny.
The return of ORESTES, the Exile, hinted at.

1372-1673

nets & snares: 129, 361 (455), 1046-48, 1116-8, 1127-1129, 1180, 1338, 1394-5, 1402-6, 1635, 1643

Furies: 65, 78, 115, 156, 457, 638-642, 702-3, 743, 759-60, 994, 1121, 1189-1198*, 1240*, 1498, 1603-4, 1610

Helen of Troy: War for a woman: 454, 523-528, 688, 733, 784, 808, 1483-95

Thyestes: 1226-1230, 1254-1258, 1531-1541, 1611-1634

Aeschylus, Agamemnon

[line references:
Grene & Lattimore]

PROLOGOS

PARODOS

EPISODE I

STASIMON I

EPISODE II

STASIMON II

EPISODE III

STASIMON III

EPISODE IV

STASIMON IV

EXODOS

THEMES

Aeschylus, Agamemnon

[line references: Grene & Lattimore]

PROLOGOS

PARODOS

EPISODE I

STASIMON I

EPISODE II

STASIMON II

EPISODE III

STASIMON III

EPISODE IV

STASIMON IV

EXODOS

THEMES

[line references:
Grene & Lattimore]