Orestes
Avenged his father
Orestes is a figure from Greek mythology, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
He avenged his father's murder by killing his mother and her lover Aegisthus, then was pursued by the Furies until absolved by Athena.
His story appears in works by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and remains a touchstone for themes of justice, vengeance, and family obligation.
As a given name, Orestes is rare in English but common in Greek and Spanish-speaking cultures.
Father of tragedy
- EuripidesGreek tragic dramatist
- SophoclesClassical Athenian playwright
- AgamemnonMycenaean king, war leader
- ElectraMythic Greek princess
Andromache · trilogy · tragedy · chorus · protagonist · recognition · theater · Argos
Greek vengeance deities
- pursuitAct of chasing something
- madnessMental derangement or folly
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
hounding · sanctuary · purification · Athena · trial · acquittal · supplication · refuge
Greek queen, husband-slayer
- vengeanceRetaliation for injury
- ApolloSun deity, moonshot namesake
- oracleAuthoritative wisdom source
- DelphiGreek prophetic sanctuary
retribution · murder · guilt · command · duty · filial · bloodshed · sword
Predetermined course of events
- hamartiaFatal error causing downfall
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- pathosPity-evoking quality
- nemesisPersistent source of ruin
hubris · suffering · guilt · remorse · anguish · lamentation · doom · curse
Mycenaean king, war leader
- ClytemnestraGreek queen, husband-slayer
- ElectraMythic Greek princess
- IphigeniaMycenaean princess nearly sacrificed
- House of AtreusMythic dynasty of Mycenae
Tantalus · Helen · Hermione · curse · bloodline · dynasty · patricide · fratricide
Aeschylus
Father of tragedy
- EuripidesGreek tragic dramatist
- SophoclesClassical Athenian playwright
- AgamemnonMycenaean king, war leader
Electra · Andromache · trilogy · tragedy · chorus · protagonist · recognition · theater · Argos · mask
Erinyes
Greek vengeance deities
persecution · hounding · sanctuary · purification · Athena · trial · acquittal · supplication · refuge · asylum
Clytemnestra
Greek queen, husband-slayer
Delphi · retribution · murder · guilt · command · duty · filial · bloodshed · sword · justice
fate
Predetermined course of events
- hamartiaFatal error causing downfall
- catharsisPurification through emotional expression
- pathosPity-evoking quality
nemesis · hubris · suffering · guilt · remorse · anguish · lamentation · doom · curse · inevitability
Agamemnon
Mycenaean king, war leader
- ClytemnestraGreek queen, husband-slayer
- ElectraMythic Greek princess
- IphigeniaMycenaean princess nearly sacrificed
House of Atreus · Tantalus · Helen · Hermione · curse · bloodline · dynasty · patricide · fratricide · inheritance
Iphigenia
Mycenaean princess nearly sacrificed
statue · rescue · escape · recognition · reunion · barbarian · priestess · sacrifice · purification · journey
- Greek TheaterGreek tragedy, tragedy, Greek drama, comedy, Sophocles
- Ancient PlaysAgamemnon, Ajax, Antigone, Electra, Helen
- Classical YouthCupid, Eros, Icarus, Telemachus, Iphigenia
- Greek classicsHomer, Iliad, Plato, Odyssey, Aristotle
- Greek tragedytragedy, Greek tragedy, Greek tragedies, Sophocles, Aeschylus
- Tragic CharactersHamlet, Oedipus, Macbeth, King Lear, Antigone
OrestesAeneas
Trojan founder of Rome's lineage
Telemachus · Antigone · Hector