Stefania Goulioti

Eumenides
by Aeschylus

In the third part of Aeschylus’ trilogy, Orestes finds himself at the Delphi oracle, pleading with Apollo to help him escape the Furies, who have been following in hot pursuit ever since Orestes murdered his mother. The god urges him to leave while the Furies are asleep and to seek refuge in Athens. Clytemnestra’s ghost appears in the temple, asking for retribution. The Furies are banished from Apollo’s temple and chase Orestes all the way to Athens, whereupon they find him as a suppliant at the statue of Athena. The goddess appears and demands she hear both sides: the prosecuting Furies and the defendant Orestes. Given the complexity of the case, Athena calls for a special court to decide on Orestes’ fate. Thus, she founds the court of Areopagus for the citizens of Athens. Apollo defends Orestes. In the ensuing trial, Athena’s tie-breaking vote absolves Orestes, an act that is tantamount to the foundation of both democracy and patriarchy. The Furies are ultimately appeased and transformed into Eumenides, “the kindly ones.”

The performance is expected to start at 06:00 a.m. sharp. The audience is kindly requested to be at there at least half an hour earlier
Coffee and croissants will be served to the audience before the performance