Aeschylus’ Oresteia: Libation Bearers Explained Part Two

Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Mr. Thomas Lackey, and the Adam Minihan come together to discuss the second part of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus’ Oresteia.

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The second half of the Libation Bearers moves decisively toward the climax of Orestes’ role as blood avenger, culminating in the deaths of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. He will enact the justice that is demanded, and in turn be guilty of murdering his own blood—his mother. As Adam observed, “Orestes is both hero and victim.” This tangled question of justice—whether Orestes can fulfill his father’s demand without succumbing to his mother’s curse—creates the tension from which Aeschylus will bring forth a narrative not in Homer—the third part of the triad, the Eumenides.

I.             Orestes’ Plan: Vengeance Under the Guise of Guest Friendship (634)

Orestes arrives at the house of his father disguised as a stranger (634). Notice, however, that the dynamics of xenia in this scene are subtly off-kilter from the start. First, no one is answering the door (636). Second, the porter asks the stranger for his name (639), an immediate breach of Homeric norms in the Iliad and Odyssey where hospitality was always extended before the host asks who the guest is. The cultural norm of guest-friendship being poorly shown by the house of Clytemnestra and Aegisthus is a subtle sign that the house is disordered and unhealthy. Like Odysseus, Aeschylus has Orestes come home in disguise and lie about his identity (556). Thomas noted the complexity and methodical planning of Clytemnestra’s murder of Agamemnon juxtaposed with the simplicity of Orestes’ plan of revenge.

A key part of this deception is his claim that he, Orestes, has died, a declaration that seems unnecessary for his mission (665). Why does Orestes tell them he’s dead? One answer could be another parallel Aeschylus is making with the Odyssey: like Odysseus the beggar testing the loyalty of those in Ithaca prior to his reveal, so too is Orestes using news of his death to test those in the palace at Argos. In other words, he can observe who shows true despair at the news of his death—those are his friends in this mission of vengeance.

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