Iliad and Odyssey - 800-750 BCE Early Greece

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Iliad and Odyssey - 800-750 BCE Early Greece Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture Early Greece A Basic Chronology 1a. Bronze Age Greece - Minoans The Minoan Civilization (1900-1450 BCE) ! ! Knossos, Crete 1b. Bronze Age Greece - Mycenaeans The Mycenaean Civilization (1450-1200 BCE) Mainland Greece, especially the Peloponnesus Mycenae – Palace Megaron Cf. Megaron at Pylos, Palace of Nestor Mycenae – Demons? Mycenae – Palace Megaron Cf. Megaron at Pylos, Palace of Nestor The Bronze Age - Collapse ! Greek Palace structures are destroyed in about 1200-1150 BCE ! Knossos Mycenae Pylos Thebes Tiryns Troy(!) We do not know how or by whom the devastation occurred - the Greeks told a story of invaders (the “Dorian invasion”) 2. The Greek! “Dark Age” - the Iron Age 1200-800 BCE Lefkandi – Heroön plan ! 2. The Iron Age 1200-750 BCE Early Geometric Vase 850 BCE ! 3. The Archaic Period 750-480 BCE 530 BCE 750 BCE 560 BCE 700 BCE 600 BCE Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture Early Greece A Basic Chronology ! 1a. Bronze Age - Minoans 1900-1450 BCE 1b. Bronze Age - Mycenaeans 1450-1200 2. Iron Age (Dark Ages) 1200-750 3. Archaic Period 750-480 ! “Trojan War” - 1250-1200 BCE Collapse of Bronze Age palace system - 1200-1150 BCE Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey - 800-750 BCE Early Greece “Trojan War” - 1250-1200 BCE Collapse of Bronze Age palace system - 1200-1150 BCE Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey - 800-750 BCE Question: which early Greece does Homer’s Iliad assume? The Bronze Age era of palaces or the Iron Age era sometimes known as the Dark Ages? ! The Trojan War: The Heroes Note: Ilium or Ilias is another name for Troy, thus the Iliad means the story of the war against Troy ! Mycenae (Mycene) Review: Mesopotamia,Phoenicia, Crete, Cyprus, Delphi, Peloponnesus, Ionia Review: Knossos, Mycenae, Pylos Mycenae – aerial view Lion’s gate reconstruction Mycenae – Demons? Mycenae – Palace Megaron Cf. Megaron at Pylos, Palace of Nestor Mycenae – gold cup Stories of Mycenae: Background MYCENAE Pelops _____|______ Atreus Thyestes | | Agamemnon Menelaus Aigisthos SPARTA ! Tyndareus = Leda = Zeus | | Klytaimnestra Helen Themes: Child murder, adultery, deception ! Mycenae (Mycene) Stories of Mycenae: Background Agamemnon, the son of Atreus Menelaus, the son of Atreus Mycenae: The “House of Atreus” Atreus and Thyestes: adultery, child murder Stories of Mycenae: Background Menelaus, the son of Atreus King of Sparta His wife is Helen, the “face that launched a thousand ships” Helen is the the most beautiful woman in the world, said to be the daughter of Zeus and Leda Paris = Alexander, prince of Troy, son of Priam the Trojan King: seduction, adultery, violation Stories of Mycenae: Background Helen, the “face that launched a thousand ships” Helen’s suitors were all the great heroes of Greece, and before she made her choice (Menelaus, of the house of Atreus) they made a treaty always to protect her husband from other suitors. Thus, when Paris seduced her and took her off to Troy, all the heroes were sworn to come to help the sons of Atreus, Menelaus and Agamemnon, as they sailed to Troy to get her back. Stories of Mycenae: Background Agamemnon, the son of Atreus King of Mycenae His wife is Klytaimnestra/Clytemnestra ! Klytaimnestra is the half sister of Helen, the daughter of Leda but not the daughter of Zeus Stories of Mycenae: Background Agamemnon, the son of Atreus King of Mycenae His daughter is Iphigeneia/Iphigenia Stories of Mycenae: Background The heroes and troops gather at Aulis to prepare for the voyage to Troy. But the winds blow against them, and day after day after day they cannot sail. The troops grow weary, hungry, rebellious. They ask the prophet (seer) Kalchas/ Calchas what to do. He tells them that they have violated Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt To appease her, Kalchas says, the goddess asks a great price. They must sacrifice a girl, a virgin, the daughter of the King of kings, Agamemnon, the son of Atreus Stories of Mycenae: Background Agamemnon curses Kalchas, but sends to his wife Klytaimnestra a messenger, telling her that their daughter, Iphigeneia/Iphigenia is to marry a great hero, ! Achilles, son of Peleus and to send Iphigenia at once. Stories of Mycenae: Background Klytaimnestra sends Iphigenia and Agamemnon performs a human sacrifice to Artemis of his own child. The winds turn, and the troops now sail to glorious battle at Troy. When Klytaimnestra learns what has happened, she joins forces (and body) with Aigisthos/Aegisthus, the son of Thyestes (Agamemnon’s first cousin) and plots her revenge. She will murder Agamemnon when he returns at the end of the war. Stories of Mycenae: Background MYCENAE Pelops _____|______ Atreus Thyestes | | Agamemnon Menelaus Aigisthos SPARTA ! Tyndareus = Leda = Zeus | | Klytaimnestra Helen Themes: Child murder, adultery, deception ! The Trojan War: The Gods Note: the Greek gods live on mythical Mt Olympus. ZEUS Sky God. King of the Gods. Son of Kronos. HERA Married Women. Queen of the gods. Zeus’ “wife”. APOLLO Archer god. God of plague and medicine. God of music and arts. Sister is Artemis, also an archer god. HEPHAISTOS Smithy god (blacksmith). God of crafts and fire. THETIS (one of the Nereids, the 50 daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea; mother of Achilles by Peleus) Judgement of Paris Paris, son of Priam decides “who is the fairest of them all” Hera, Athena, Aphrodite Homer: The Gods! ! Trojan supporters! •Aphrodite (won the judgement of Paris) •Ares (lover of Aphrodite, rival of Athena) •Apollo (traditional friend of Troy) •Artemis (sister of Apollo) •Scamander (river of the Troad, fights Hephaistos) •Leto (mother of Apollo and Artemis) ! Greek supporters! •Hera (lost the judgement of Paris) •Athena (lost the judgement of Paris) •Poseidon (traditional friend of Troy, but denied payment by Laomedon after building the walls: but he helps Aeneas in Book 20) •Hephaistos (friend of Thetis) •Hermes (fights Leto) ! http://people.duke.edu/~wj25/Greek_Originals/ Iliad_Summaries.html ! Iliad: the Proem .
Recommended publications
  • A Bronze Pail of Athena Alalkomenia
    A BRONZE PAIL OF ATHENA ALALKOMENIA (PLATES 31-34) T HE remarkable archaic Greek bronze vessel published here (P1. 31, a) was l.4 purchased in Mantinea in Arcadia in the spring of 1957 and donated to the Museum in Tegea where other antiquities from the same region have their abode. It had been found by a local shepherd some distance to the north of the ruins of Man- tinea but, unfortunately, the exact location of the discovery could not be ascertained.' The major part of the vessel is preserved, including about half of its upper profiled edge and one attachment for the handle which passed through its upper ring. The whole of this ring is still filled with iron and it is evident that the missing handle was made of this material. The carefully proportioned body has a height of 0.241 m. to the upper edge of the lip. Its largest diameter, 0.215 m., is slightly smaller than the total height and exactly the same both at the outer edge of the lip and at the greatest width of the body which, in turn, occurs precisely half way between that edge and the bottom of the vessel, 0.12 m. distant from both. The upper face of the lip inclines outward slightly to allow overspilling liquid to run off, as it were, from an architectural cornice. The proportion of diameter to height, the rounded bottom and the contraction of the width under the lip combine to give the impression of an elastic curvilinear rhythm to the generally ovoid form.
    [Show full text]
  • Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides Translated by Nicholas Rudall Directed by Charles Newell
    STUDY GUIDE Photo of Mark L. Montgomery, Stephanie Andrea Barron, and Sandra Marquez by joe mazza/brave lux, inc Sponsored by Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides Translated by Nicholas Rudall Directed by Charles Newell SETTING The action takes place in east-central Greece at the port of Aulis, on the Euripus Strait. The time is approximately 1200 BCE. CHARACTERS Agamemnon father of Iphigenia, husband of Clytemnestra and King of Mycenae Menelaus brother of Agamemnon Clytemnestra mother of Iphigenia, wife of Agamemnon Iphigenia daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra Achilles son of Peleus Chorus women of Chalcis who came to Aulis to see the Greek army Old Man servant of Agamemnon, was given as part of Clytemnestra’s dowry Messenger ABOUT THE PLAY Iphigenia in Aulis is the last existing work of the playwright Euripides. Written between 408 and 406 BCE, the year of Euripides’ death, the play was first produced the following year in a trilogy with The Bacchaeand Alcmaeon in Corinth by his son, Euripides the Younger, and won the first place at the Athenian City Dionysia festival. Agamemnon Costume rendering by Jacqueline Firkins. 2 SYNOPSIS At the start of the play, Agamemnon reveals to the Old Man that his army and warships are stranded in Aulis due to a lack of sailing winds. The winds have died because Agamemnon is being punished by the goddess Artemis, whom he offended. The only way to remedy this situation is for Agamemnon to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to the goddess Artemis. Agamemnon then admits that he has sent for Iphigenia to be brought to Aulis but he has changed his mind.
    [Show full text]
  • The Iliad Book 1 Lines 1-487
    The Iliad Book 1 lines 1-487. Homer. The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134:book=1:card=1 [1] The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant souls of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs and every bird; thus the plan of Zeus came to fulfillment, from the time when first they parted in strife Atreus' son, king of men, and brilliant Achilles. [8] Who then of the gods was it that brought these two together to contend? The son of Leto and Zeus; for he in anger against the king roused throughout the host an evil pestilence, and the people began to perish, because upon the priest Chryses the son of Atreus had wrought dishonour. For he had come to the swift ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, bearing ransom past counting; and in his hands he held the wreaths of Apollo who strikes from afar, on a staff of gold; and he implored all the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, the marshallers of the people: Sons of Atreus, and other well-greaved Achaeans, to you may the gods who have homes upon Olympus grant that you sack the city of Priam, and return safe to your homes; but my dear child release to me, and accept the ransom out of reverence for the son of Zeus, Apollo who strikes from afar.
    [Show full text]
  • From Rome to Athens 9 – 13 DAYS
    From Rome to Athens 9 – 13 DAYS From Rome to Athens Italy • Greece Extension includes Turkey Program Fee includes: • Round-trip airfare • 6 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms; plus 1 night cabin accommodation (5 with extension) • Complete European breakfast and dinner daily (3 meals daily on cruise extension) • Full-time bilingual EF Tour Director • 8 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides; Vatican and Rome sightseeing tours includes headsets • 10 visits to special attractions • 2 EF walking tours The Acropolis towers over the center of Athens; its name translates to “city on the edge.” Highlights: Colosseum; Sistine Chapel: St. Peter’s Basilica; Spanish Steps; Pompeii Roman ruins; Olympia; Epidaurus; Mycenae; Acropolis; Agora site Day 1 Flight watchful eyes of the brightly dressed Swiss Gaurd. and Athenian cemetery; Delphi site and museum With extension: cruise ports: Mykonos; Kusadasi; Overnight flight to Italy • Relax as you fly across Inside, admire Michelangelo’s Pietá, the only Patmos; Rhodes; Heraklion; Santorini the Atlantic. sculpture he ever signed. Guided sightseeing of Rome • Pass the grassy Optional: Greek Evening Day 2 Rome ruins of the ancient Forum Romanum, once the Arrival in Rome • Touch down in bella Roma, the heart of the Roman Empire, and admire the Eternal City. Here Charlemagne was crowned enduring fragments of Rome’s glorious past. It Learn before you go emperor by the pope in A.D. 800. After clearing was here that business, commerce and the admin- www.eftours.com/pbsitaly customs you are greeted by your bilingual EF istration of justice once took place. Then vist the www.eftours.com/pbsgreece Tour Director, who will remain with you mighty Colosseum, Rome’s first permanent throughout your stay.
    [Show full text]
  • Night (Thyestes 2.0)
    This script was freely downloaded from the (re)making project, (charlesmee.org). We hope you'll consider supporting the project by making a donation so that we can keep it free. Please click here to make a donation. Night (Thyestes 2.0) by C H A R L E S L . M E E A companion piece to Day (Daphnis and Chloe 2.0). This, Thyestes 2.0 is night, Daphnis and Chloe 2.0 is day. The pieces can be done individually—or together, under the title Night and Day. A woman in a full length black evening dress comes out to a microphone that stands downstage center. She speaks into the microphone. THE WOMAN Act one, scene one. Tantalus, a mortal friend of the gods, decides to test their omniscience. He kills his own son, Pelops, chops him up and boils him, and plans to feed him to the gods as animal meat. Scene two. The gods realize the truth and are horrified; they put the pieces of the boy back together- and send Tantalus to Hades. Scene three. Tortured by thirst, Tantalus stands in water that reaches only to his chin. Food just out of his reach. Tantalized forever. Act two, scene one. Pelops grows up and falls in love with Hippodamia. But the father of Hippodamia, in order to test potential suitors, has declared that anyone who wants to marry his daughter must first beat him in a chariot race. Scene two. The crafty Pelops strikes a secret bargain with the father's personal charioteer: if the charioteer will sabotage the father's chariot, Pelops will let the charioteer sleep with Hippodamia on the wedding night.
    [Show full text]
  • Explore Athens, Mycenae, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora!
    CONTACT HOW TO APPLY 1. Create an account on Abroad Office—http://ashland.abroadoffice.net Explore Dr. Chris Swanson, Faculty Director Athens, Mycenae, Clayton 103, 419.289.5264 2. On the left, choose 2019 AU Programs, then Honors Grecian Odyssey Olympia, Delphi, [email protected] Tour page. Click Apply to Program and complete application information. Study Abroad Office 3. Submit deposit to the Study Abroad Office [Bixler 211] prior to the and Meteora! Bixler 211, 419.289.5870 deadline. [email protected] TENTATIVE ITINERARY PROGRAM INFORMATION Dr. Chris Swanson, Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Honors DATE LOCATION PROGRAM Program, will lead a group of AU Honors students to Greece in May 2019. 5/6-7 Travel Travel to Athens, Greece. Upon airport arrival, guided This multi-city tour will provide students with the opportunity to experi- to hotel for the night. ence firsthand the cultures of Greece. This tour is tied to the Spring 2019 5/8 Athens Visit of the Acropolis and many architectural wonders Honors 390: Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar course, in which students will including the Parthenon. Panoramic view of the city study various works with ties to Greece. Students in Honors 390 will com- and market-place of ancient philosophers. Afterwards, plete journals and CCI narratives based on their experiences on the trip. a bus tour in the center of Athens followed by an after- noon at your leisure. 5/9 Corinth Canal/ You will see the canal of Corinth, Mycenae (grave cir- ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST Mycenae cles, prehistoric acropolis, bee-hive tombs) and Epi- PROGRAM COST: $3,378 (Note: Increased airline fuel charges could raise the price) daurus.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancient-Greece-Brochure.Pdf
    distinguished travel for more than 35 years Aegean IN Ancient Greece AN Odyssey UNESCO World Heritage Site Meteora Cruise Itinerary Air Routing Volos Land Routing GREECE Aegean Sea Delphi Athens Corinth Canal Mykonos Mycenae Pátmos Nafplion Delos Epidaurus Rhodes Peloponnese Santorini Peninsula Lindos October 15 to 23, 2022 Athens u Delos u Mykonos u Pátmos Join us for this nine-day Aegean Odyssey cruising Rhodes u Santorini u Mycenae u Epidaurus round trip Athens, Greece, aboard the exclusively chartered, 1 Depart the U.S. or Canada Five-Star small ship Le Bougainville. Our epic voyage 2 Athens, Greece/Embark Le Bougainville calls on the islands of Delos, Mykonos, Pátmos, Rhodes and Santorini, including the Peloponnese Peninsula. 3 Volos for Meteora Visit extraordinary Meteora, where 14th- and 15th-century 4 Delos/Mykonos monasteries stand high atop soaring natural sandstone 5 Pátmos pinnacles; walk through the fabled Lion Gate of legendary 6 Rhodes/Lindos Mycenae; and explore the monumental ruins of the Sanctuary of Asklepios of Epidaurus. Enjoy guided tours in 7 Santorini/Akrotiri these storied destinations and visit up to eight magnificent 8 Nafplion for Mycenae and Epidaurus UNESCO World Heritage sites. Engage with local residents 9 Athens/Disembark ship/ who will discuss contemporary life on the islands during Return to the U.S. or Canada the specially arranged Island Life® Forum. Athens Pre- Itinerary is subject to change. Program and Delphi and Thebes Post-Program Options. Exclusively Chartered Five-Star Small Ship Le Bougainville Ancient Greece Included Features* On Board the Exclusively Chartered, Five-Star, reserve early! Approximate Early Booking pricing from Small Ship Le Bougainville $4995 per person double occupancy u Seven-night cruise round trip for land/cruise program.
    [Show full text]
  • Motorcycle Tour Nafplio – Epidaurus and Mycenae
    Motorcycle tour Nafplio – Epidaurus and Mycenae (In the Land of Agamemnon) self guided on BMW Motorcycle tour Nafplio – Epidaurus and Mycenae (In the Land of Agamemnon) self guided on BMW Duration Difficulty Support vehicle 2 días Easy-Normal Nei Language Guide en,es,fr,de,it Nei Nafplio – Epidaurus, and Mycenae. Two-day unguided motorcycle tour that will lead you to three of the most famous sites in Greece. We will meet and greet you in our head offices where you will get acquainted with your BMW rental motorbike. After a small presentation about the tour and the itinerary, you will be ready to begin the motorcycle tour. All destinations and points of interest will be uploaded to your phone or given in a printed copy. Corinth Canal You will start your moto tour via the Saronic Gulf coastal route and you will have a brief stop at Isthmia- Corinth Canal. A marvel of architecture constructed in the 1800s alloyed the connection of the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometers in length and only 21.4 meters wide at its base. Mycenae Then via the Nemea valley with the world-famous wineries, you will visit the kingdom of Mycenae. This ancient site is where King Agamemnon, leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War of Homer’s Illiad, ruled.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Aspects of Spartan Kingship in Herodotus Rosaria Vignolo Munson
    5 Three Aspects of Spartan Kingship in Herodotus Rosaria Vignolo Munson erodotus’ Histories are governed by the rule of resemblance: they explain the nature of a given historical phenomenon by sug­ gesting similarities to unrelated phenomena entirely different in Hother respects.! We may safely state, in particular, that Herodotus’ analysis of any form of personal power is inseparable from his representation of monarchical rule. This was an essential feature of the foreign culture that threatened the integrity of Hellas at the time of the Persian wars, and it provided the Greeks with a foil for self-definition. The components of the monarchical model in Herodotus have often been discussed,^ and I need only to recall a few points. The speech of Otanes in the Constitutional Debate is the basic theoretical document (3.80). The monarch is here defined as an individual who “can do what he wants without being accountable” (dvevOvvco Trottem ra /SouXerat). When placed in such a position, even the best of men finds himself outside the normal way of thinking (/cat yap av tov aptcTOV avhputv TravTwv (TTavTU e? TavTTjv TTjv apy^v e/cxd? twv ewOoToiv voripdraiv cTTpcreid) and commits many unbearable things (iroWd /cal dracrOaka) out of u/3pts and cpOovos. Typically, the monarch subverts ancestral laws (Ttarpta vopaia), he does violence to women, and he puts people to death without trial. I am happy to dedicate this chapter to Martin Ostwald with gratitude and admiration. 1. The importance of analogical thought in Herodotus is widely recognized. See espe­ cially the work of Immerwahr (1966) and Lateiner (1989, 191-96).
    [Show full text]
  • Aeschylusaeschylus
    AeschylusAeschylus •The Life and Times of Aeschylus •Aeschylus’ Contributions to Greek Tragedy • Overview of Myth: The House of Atreus •Aeschylus’ Agamemnon AeschylusAeschylus LifeLife andand TimesTimes •after winning both the Persian Wars, the Athenians’ spirits soared •they threw themselves into the arts with unprecedented energy and confidence • tragedy was among those arts, one which received much public attention AeschylusAeschylus LifeLife andand TimesTimes •the first tragedian whose work survives is AeschylusAeschylus (ca. 525 BCE ‐ 456 BCE) • according to his tombstone, Aeschylus fought in the Persian Wars •but it does not mention his drama • according to him, then, his most important achievement in life was fighting for freedom, not writing plays AeschylusAeschylus LifeLife andand TimesTimes •Aeschylus won the Dionysia for the first time in 484 BCE •he produced his last known trilogy in 458 BCE: Oresteia (including Agamemnon) •he wrote and produced over eighty plays during his life •thus, he entered the Dionysia at least twenty times AeschylusAeschylus ContributionsContributions toto DramaDrama •but only seven of his plays have survived •most in school texts, cf. Epic of Gilgamesh • nevertheless, we can see that he was the most important playwright of his day: –he won five or more victories at the Dionysia –later playwrights often referenced and imitated—and satirized!—his work –the audiences of the next generation enjoyed revivals of his drama AeschylusAeschylus ContributionsContributions toto DramaDrama •Aeschylus introduced
    [Show full text]
  • Uniformity and Change in Minoan and Mycenaean Religion
    Kernos Revue internationale et pluridisciplinaire de religion grecque antique 6 | 1993 Varia Uniformity and Change in Minoan and Mycenaean Religion Bernard C. Dietrich Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/540 DOI: 10.4000/kernos.540 ISSN: 2034-7871 Publisher Centre international d'étude de la religion grecque antique Printed version Date of publication: 1 January 1993 Number of pages: 113-122 ISSN: 0776-3824 Electronic reference Bernard C. Dietrich, « Uniformity and Change in Minoan and Mycenaean Religion », Kernos [Online], 6 | 1993, Online since 07 April 2011, connection on 19 April 2019. URL : http:// journals.openedition.org/kernos/540 ; DOI : 10.4000/kernos.540 Kernos Kernos, 6 (1993), p. 113-122. UNIFORMITY AND CHANGE IN MINOAN AND MYCENAEAN RELIGION Two issues, that remain very much alive to-day, concern the relationship of Minoan with Mycenaean religion, and the extent of the survival of Mycenaean into Greek religion. The first question is rarely addressed nowadays, because it is generally assumed that irrecon- cilable differences separated the Minoans, with their central figure of a goddess, from the later, more visibly Indo-European and male domina- ted mainland culture. The assumption is based on chronological, ethnic and on linguistic grounds and reinforced by almost half a century of scholarly tradition since Nilsson's recantation of his earlier view concerning one common Minoan/Mycenaean religion. Now Minoan cuIts are usually traced diachronically from site to site beginning with the Early Minoan tholos to the sophisticated palace cuIture of the Middle and Late Bronze Agel. Religious forms that emerge from the archaeology of the various periods produce a distinctive picture of the geography and architecture of cuIt.
    [Show full text]
  • The World of Agamemnon
    FROM DIRECTOR STEPHEN WADSWORTH THE WORLD OF AGAMEMNON Aeschylus’s Oresteia, consisting of three plays—Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides—is the only complete cycle that survives from the fifth century B.C., and Agamemnon is arguably the earliest dramatic masterpiece of Western culture. Aeschylus’s audiences, who watched all three plays in one day, were intimately familiar with the historical and cultural references in the plays. Twenty-six centuries later, we offer these notes to orient our audiences. There are many versions of most of the stories referred to in Agamemnon; we follow Aeschylus’s version in these notes. AGAMEMNON Agamemnon ruled Mycenae from the city of Argos. He married Clytaemnestra, mortal daughter of Zeus and Leda, and had three children, Iphigenia, Electra, and Orestes. All five family members were the subjects of dramas by the three great playwrights of the fifth century B.C. in Athens—Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Iphigenia and Electra are not featured in Aeschylus’s script, but they appear in this adaptation, in the chorus. THE HOUSE OF ATREUS Agamemnon’s grandfather Pelops won his wife in a chariot race by cheating, then betrayed and killed his co-conspirator, who as he lay dying, cursed the next generation of Pelops’s family. Pelops’s two sons, Atreus and Thyestes, inherited this curse and lived it out in a grisly power struggle. Thyestes seduced Atreus’s wife and disputed the throne of Argos. Defeated and exiled, he returned with his children as a supplicant. Atreus welcomed his brother back with a celebratory feast, at which he served Thyestes a dish of his own slaughtered sons.
    [Show full text]