by Aeschylus
First published -458
King Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to secure favorable winds for the Greek fleet sailing to Troy. Now he returns victorious to Argos, where his wife Clytemnestra has waited ten years to exact her revenge. She murders him in his bath, claiming justice for their child's blood. Their son Orestes faces an impossible choice between honoring his father and defying his mother. He kills Clytemnestra, only to find himself pursued by the Furies, ancient spirits of vengeance who torment those who spill family blood. The cycle of murder threatens to continue forever until the gods themselves intervene. Athena establishes a court of law to judge Orestes, transforming the primitive system of blood revenge into civilized justice. The trilogy follows the royal house of Atreus from its darkest hour through redemption, as divine retribution gives way to human law.
Genres: drama, historical-fiction, greek-mythology, ancient, epic, classical-studies
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, family-drama, moral-dilemma
Setting: Argos, Troy
Period: Ancient Greece
336 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics
Content warnings: death, murder, violence