We’ll read the three plays of Aeschylus’ Oresteia: Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, and Eumenides.  Aeschylus, a veteran of the Persian War, is the oldest of the renowned trio of Athenian tragedians (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides). The Oresteia is the only extant dramatic trilogy from ancient Greece, and won first prize at the Great Dionysia festival of 458 BCE.  The principal themes of the trilogy are revenge vs. justice, the transition from vendetta to litigation, parricide and matricide.  Some of the major figures will be familiar to students of the Trojan War and modern psychology:  Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, Electra.

In addition to discussion of the major themes mentioned above, we’ll consider the performance context of the plays, possible contemporary political references, and modern adaptations on stage and in translation.

Brendon Reay is a Classicist. He graduated from Reed College in 1987 with a B.A. in Classics, earned his M.A. in Latin at Bryn Mawr College in 1993, and his Ph.D. in Classical Studies from Stanford University in 1998. Brendon has taught Greek and Latin language from beginning to advanced levels, and courses in Greek and Latin literature, history, and politics. His research has focused mainly on Roman agricultural literature and history, and ideas of Roman nationhood and selfhood. He and his family have lived in Blue Hill since 2018.