Orestes was the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology, who was hunted by the Erinyes after he killed his mother.. Apollo does most of the talking for Orestes. Athens as a city is great in its democratic nature, though flawed by the past. Finally Athena, who knows the furies aren't just going to go away, promises them a place in the depths of the earth and renames them as kindly spirits, the Eumenides. The best-known Athena story concerns the founding of Athens. From then on, the Furies are referred to as “Eumenides,” or “Kindly Ones”—and it is … Orestes thanks Athena and the people of Athens, and then he leaves to go home to Argos. Earth, harbouring the sperm, nurtured a baby to term and then handed the child over to Athena … They put forth their claims of the primary right of the mother. Since murdering a parent is one of the worst crimes possible, the Furies chase Orestes to Athens. From this time forth, juries will decide all homicides in the city. The story of Orestes is the main topic of various ancient Greek plays. She decides to let a jury of twelve Athenians decide the matter. That this grove is prophesied to be Oedipus's final resting place suggests that through suffering—blindness and banishment—Oedipus has atoned for his actions and has been granted redemption by the Furies and the gods. She herself will cultivate the Athenians ‘as a gardener loves his plants’ (921) and guard the fruits of culture; see 792 to the conclusion; A n. 517, LB n. 205. from now on they will be known as "the kindly ones" or Eumenides. In the third and final play from the trilogy, the Eumenides, Orestes has fled to the Aeropagus, persued by the Furies, spirits of vengeance who torture those who have committed parricide. “The protection that Athena affords Orestes against the all-powerful Furies affirms Athena’s reputation for helping those in need” (Tzanetou 3). Athena is concerned about making the judgement herself. -The Furies agree to abide by the decision of the jury. The goddess Athena, patron of Athens, appears to diffuse the situation, and forms a court to judge whether Orestes should be punished for his mother's murder or not. The most famous of these stories include the curiosity of the Cecropides, the transformation and beheading of the Gorgon Medusa, and the shipwreck of Oilean Ajax. This preview shows page 189 - 191 out of 231 pages.. na deliberately points out while trying to appease the Furies: Eum. As she had in the first installment Athena accompanies her ostensible effort to appease with a further project of constitution making. Athena as Reconciler of Law and Piety, State and Family. -Athena arranges a trial, using Athenian citizens as jurors to weigh the claims of mother blood guilt versus Clytemnestra's crime killing her husband. To complete this examination of Athena’s statecraft, we can consider its second installment whereby she seeks to appease the Furies. Athene and the jurors decide in Orestes' favor, but just barely: the jurors are tied and Athene's ballot decides. Athena transforms the Furies’ power to destroy the earth into their power to promote its harvest. Athena is dignified and wise in her judicial judgment. Much of this come from Prof. Burian's introduction to the play (pp. Though this allegory isn't, itself, an argument against capital punishment or against the belief that a death should be justified with a death, the message is that the wrong done in crime is felt by the whole community. The ritual significance of these drink-offerings comes through in Orestes' observation that the chorus brings the drink-offerings to the grave of Agamemnon… FURIES How does Athena appease the Furies? Athena cast the deciding vote in his favor, symbolically ending the system of mother-right. The Furies were avenging spirits of Greek mythology who punished those, like Oedipus, who broke natural law, such as by committing incest or killing a parent. The Furies also punished those who broke their oaths. What does Athena convince the furies of? To complete this examination of Athena’s statecraft, we can consider its second installment whereby she seeks to appease the Furies. Athena praises the blessings of the Furies and commands all Athenians to do the same. Are women in a position of greater strength at the beginning of the trilogy, or at the end? The Role of Clytemnestra Athena exhorts her citizens to note and praise the blessings that the Furies have brought, and she praises Zeus for changing the Furies’ minds. The Erinyes were sometimes called the Eumenides after Athena established the precedent of trial by jury to ensure justice. This page describes Athena's role in the latter half of the Trojan War--from the arrival of Penthesileia, to the building of the Trojan Horse, and the destruction of the Greek fleet on its return from Troy. The Furies pray for Athenian prosperity, promising to share their blessings at the hearths of Athenian homes. Undertaking of great magnitude: Orestes, after avenging his father, flees to the seat of justice: Apollo opposes the Furies. Athena again tries to appease the ancient gods of the Furies with respect. Athena, in order to appease the Erinyes, gives them the love of Athens and renames them the Eumenides. The Eumenides are given red robes to replace the black robes they wore for most of the play, drawing an end to the red color scheme that is evident throughout the play. When the furies put him on trial, Orestes faced a hung jury. Both sides state their case and Athena summons a jury to hear the case. an abode untroubled by all distress and that no house in Athens will thrive without her 795: ο ὐ γ ὰ Eum. Athena wiped off the semen with a piece of wool and threw the wool onto the earth. cassiexoeve95. At the end of class today, I mentioned that libations carry a great deal of symbolic weight in this play. The Eumenides are given red robes to replace the black robes they wore for most of the play, drawing an end to the red color scheme that is evident throughout the play. Athena, in order to appease the Erinyes, gives them the love of Athens and renames them the Eumenides. At the end of The Eumenides, Athena uses a mixture of persuasion and threats to convince the Furies to give up their bloodthirsty role, and instead become defenders of justice and of Athens itself. Medea terms/Questions 32 terms. Brief review: The highlight of this play for me was the Furies actually appearing on stage and being given the chance to speak, and of course the poetry/language was great as always, but I still have a few gripes with it. Athena says to the leader and the furies, “But if you have any reverence for Persuasion, the majesty of Persuasion, the spell of my voice that would appease your fury – Oh please stay.” The furies cry out for justice in the form of revenge, which would … What does Athena offer them to appease them? I’ll address the Iliad. 795: ο ὐ γ ὰ OEDIPUS 26 terms. However, in the end, Orestes was proven innocent and to appease the Furies, Athena had to convince them to stay in Athens and to change their roles. Athena and Poseidon were competing to see who would get to name the city. Mother Night determines that justice has been scorned, and that terrible retribution must follow. But if you have reverence for Persuasion, the majesty of Persuasion, the spell of my voice would appease your fury- (Lines 893-895 ) Athena offers the Furies a home in Athens. Athena is called to settle the score. One would have been to appease them by abandoning Orestes to his fate. Athena works to guarantee justice and appease the Furies Pham 10 Kennedy’s “In the Courts of Athena” argues that Athena is a representation of Athens, and becomes the court of the city, thus further advancing Aeschylus’ political agenda. Athena was the Olympian goddess of wisdom, war, heroism and crafts. As they toy with their soon to be victim Athena appears. IV. 28-38). This was to show that Orestes had to take responsibility for his actions. Athena wiped off the semen with a piece of wool and threw the wool onto the earth. Apollo defended Orestes, there was a jury of Orestes’s peers, and there was a special appearance by Athena, goddess of justice and wisdom, to be the judge. Athena holding ship's stern, Athenian red-figure lekythos C5th B.C., Metropolitan Museum of Art ATHENA was the Olympian goddess of wisdom, war, heroism and crafts. she convinces them to stay in Athens as goddesses in charge of helping good people and punishing bad people. Odysseus was one of the more prudent heros fighting at Troy. Oaths sworn to the gods were sacred, and their violation was an insult against the god. This page contains tales of the goddess' wrath which was, for the most part, directed at those who had violated the sanctity of her shrines. He and the Furies argue about justice and the justifiability of Orestes' crime. When Athena and the jurors make their final judgement, the Furies are still angry. The Furies, goddesses of the Underworld and of revenge, came to the courtroom to be the prosecutors of this matricide case. The goddess Athena absolved Orestes of guilt in the murder of his mother, and in order to appease the Furies (Erinyes) she gave the Furies a grotto at Athens where they received sacrifices and libations where they became euphemistically known as the Eumenides (the kindly ones). In an attempt to stall the retribution, Athena asks the Furies to abandon their former roles as hideous avengers from hell, and to become the Eumenides. Support your answer with specific examples from all three plays. There would have been two wrong ways to deal with the danger the Furies represented to Athens. 514ff We are the Furies, etc. The new Eumenides accept Athena's offer, and the play ends. As she had in the first installment Athena accompanies her ostensible effort to appease with a further project of constitution making. Athena as Reconciler of Law and Piety, State and Family. Athena had been given a speciously plausible opportunity to do this when the Furies offered Orestes a challenge to decide the case by a contest of oaths: they will swear If she finds in favour of Orestes the furies “anger falls/Like death … Earth, harboring the sperm, nurtured a baby to term and then handed the child over to Athena to rear. Finally, he is king. After the Trojan War, Orestes' father, Agamemnon, returned to Mycenae (or Argos), along with his prize, the Trojan princess Cassandra. Other posters have addressed the Odyssey. There were times he was willing to let bygones be bygones. The Furies had the initial role of punishing wrongdoers which was shown as they chased after Orestes for murdering his mother. As the final victory of the male sphere over that of the female sphere, Athena domesticates the Furies in the final pages of the last play of the trilogy and consigns them to the "traditional" feminine role in society while she takes on the more prestigious, man's role of the diplomat. she offers them a place in her home, a hidden abode seated on gleaming thrones full of honor from the people in Athens. Here, the play depicts the founding of the Athenian legal system. The facts of the case were cold and cut. He tried anyway and ejaculated onto Athena’s leg. Athena, however, was an eternal virgin, so Hephaestus’ desire could not be satisfied. From the Furies to Athena, we go from the vendetta to legal justice.