Greek · Ancient Greek · 458 BCE
The Oresteia
Aeschylus; tr. E. D. A. Morshead
The trilogy that puts the Erinyes on stage pursuing Orestes and then, in the Eumenides, argues them into becoming guarantors of Athenian justice. A tradition incorporating its avenging spirits rather than expelling them.
Read The Oresteia in full at the linked edition →What this text attests · 2
| Name here | Rank given | # | Powers described |
|---|---|---|---|
 Eumenides = The Erinyes | The Kindly Ones | — | Hound Orestes for his mother's blood, and at the close are argued into taking a seat beneath the Areopagus as guarantors of Athenian justice. |
| Avenging spirit | — | In tragedy the Greek word is a common noun as much as a name: the spirit of retribution that attaches to a bloodline and collects from the next generation. English versions translate rather than transliterate it, so the term is invisible in the English text. |