The Furies Haunting Orestes
Orestes did not deserve the furies hunting him down. In The Eumenides, Orestes killed his mother, and she sent the furies hunting after him. However, the only reason that he killed his mother, Clytemnestra, was because Clytemnestra killed his father in the first place! Yes, the Greeks did have customs that said you couldn't kill your parents, but they also had rules that said you had to avenge a family member if they are killed, so he would lose either way. It wasn't Orestes' fault if there was no other way!
But what are the furies? Well, The Brooklyn Museum says that they are “The Roman goddesses of vengeance. The Furies lived in the underworld, where they tortured sinners. The children of Gaea and Uranus, they were usually characterized as three sisters: Alecto (‘unceasing’), Tisiphone (‘avenging murder’), and Megaera (‘grudging'). Their counterparts in Greek mythology are the Erinyes.” Doesn't seem like a fair punishment for some poor guy who was trying to avenge his dad.
How do they punish people? Well, Encyclopedia.com says "In Greek and Roman mythology, the Furies were female spirits of justice and vengeance. They were also called the Erinyes (angry ones). Known especially for pursuing people who had murdered family members, the Furies punished their victims by driving them mad.” Did anybody else notice that both references called the furies "Spirits of vengeance"? It seems like a cruel move to send them after Orestes.
So, what happened to Orestes? Well, he was being chased by the harpies, so it was decided that he should get a trial. The town bigwigs, the furies, and Apollo and Athena themselves were there. The furies thought that the whole trial was a stupid idea and they should just kill Orestes, but everyone else thought they should give Orestes a fighting chance. So, after a long, argumentative trial, the vote on Orestes’ pardon or death was tied 50-50. So everyone said, "Let's have Athena vote for a tiebreaker, she's smart!" And Athena voted his pardon.
Well, that settles it then. I'm correct about Orestes not deserving punishment, The goddess of wisdom herself is backing me up! The furies are bloody revenge embodied, and a guy who was just defending his father should not have been punished with the harpies driving him insane. Think about it, if somebody killed your dad, and you're in a world without government, all you've got to do is to follow the custom- avenging your dad! Of course, then it's you that's going to be brought to justice....
Works Cited
"Furies." Encyclopedia.com, 15 Apr. 2024, www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/ancient-religions/ancient-religion/furies. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.
"The Furies." Brooklyn Museum, www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/heritage_floor/the_furies. Accessed 21 Apr. 2024.
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