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Three epic plays tell the story of a family curse as it unravels through several generations. Chronicling the
downfall and ultimate redemption of the infamous House of Atreus, the Oresteia witnesses the curse manifest itself through
cannibalism, incest, adultery, infanticide, regicide and matricide.
The House of Atreus: The
curse (branch by branch)
Tantalus
The head of the family, Tantalus was a blood relative of the head god,
Zeus. At some point, the relationship between he and the immortal Olympians broke down and this inevitably led to his downfall.
He thought he could outwit the gods by tricking them into eating human flesh (his own son Pelops). As he'd soon find out,
there was no fooling them and he was punished for his arrogance for eternity in Hades.
Pelops
Fortunately, the gods restored the body of the young Pelops. From
this point, he moves into the position to rekindle the legacy of the curse. When grown, Pelops decided to vie for
the hand of the beautiful Hippodamia. According to rules set by her father, Oenomaus, hopeful suitors had to stake their life
on beating him in a chariot race. Pelops cheated with the help of Myrtilus, Oenomaus' charioteer. They removed the wooden
pin holding his front wheel and several laps into the race, the wheel and fell off, causing a crash in which Oenomaus
was killed. Myrtilus tried to rape Hippodamia and when Pelops threw him off a cliff, Myrtilus levied a curse against
his house.
Atreus & Thyestes
Pelops and his wife have two children: Atreus and Thyestes. There was never much love lost between
these brothers. In addition to other friction between them (they had vied for
the throne of Mycenae), Thyestes had an affair with Atreus' wife. In response, Atreus killed and cooked Thyestes' children
and served them to him at a banquet (under the pretense of friendly reconciliation). Ruined, Thyestes trekked to the
Oracle of Delphi to seek advice on how to even the score. He was told that he would only gain his revenge through a son
born of his own daughter, so he disguised himself and raped his daughter, conceiving Aegisthus. As the prophecy had foretold, Aegisthus
grew to kill Atreus and restore Thyestes to the throne of Mycenae.
Agamemnon & Menelaus
Hustled out of Mycenae as children, before the overthrow of Atreus, they
escaped Thyestes' wrath only to return when they, themselves, were grown. With the help of Tyndareus, King of Sparta,
they dethroned Thyestes. In a gesture of thanks, each married one of their ally's daughters: Agamemnon taking Clytemnestra;
Menelaus Helen; reknowned for her beauty. Agamemnon became King of Mycenae, while Menelaus inherited Tyndareus'
throne in Sparta.
A decade's delay...
When a peacekeeping envoy, Paris of Troy, journeyed to Greece to represent
his nation in delegations, the Greeks believed a time of economic and cultural prosperity were bound to follow. When it's
discovered the envoy departed with Sparta's queen, Helen, the unified Greek forces declare war against Troy. Agamemnon, chosen
to lead the procession, is forced to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, to sail to Troy.
-While Agamemnon is away, Clytemnestra invites Aegisthus to be her consort
while she rules Argos. Upon Agamemnon's triumphant return from Troy, more than a decade later, Clytemnestra and
Aegisthus murder him for his various crimes against them.
Orestes & Electra
The two living children of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, they plot and execute
their plan to murder Aegisthus and their mother for murdering their father. Once the acts are done, this cycle of
blood-guilt and vengeance end in a way that only a god can decide is just.
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