Oil on Canvas by by Jacques Louis David
From left to right: Achilles, Clytemnestra, Iphigenia and Agamemnon.
Mythology consists of an enormous number of different interconnected tales, with Homer's two masterpieces ('The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey') acting as a kind of hub to all of them. Full dialogues, chapters and books have been created taking something from both stories, always tending to add details that lead the reader to a further understanding of the 'Behind the Scenes' of this war saga against Troy and the returning of Odysseus to his homeland. Tales are so profound and rich in their essence that even different artists found the need to write about the same single character or event with their personal approach, such as the case of the stories of 'Electra' or 'Oedipus', written in different moments by Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles.
This interwoven of stories is perhaps the main reason why when you start reading any classical book (such as Aeschylus' "Oresteia"), you'll find the need to keep on reading other tales and authors: the more you read, the less you know.
The story behind the painting
Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, married Clytemnestra and made her mother of four children: Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes and Chrysothemis. After the abduction of Helen by the Trojan prince Paris, the Greeks - commanded by Agamemnon - join forces and get prepared to set sails to Asia Minor in order to recover the honour of Menelaus, husband of Helen and brother of Agamemnon. When the Greek fleet is preparing at Aulis to depart for Troy to begin the Trojan War, the goddess Artemis, still angered with Agamemnon for his killing of a sacred animal of hers, becalm the winds. The prophet Calchas tells Atreus' son that the only way to appease the goddess and recover the breeze that will lead them to the foreign land, is by offering her daughter Iphigenia in sacrifice. Clytemnestra happily takes her daughter to Aulis framed by Agamemnon that their Iphigenia was to marry mighty Achilles, prince of Myrmidons. Once there, the plot is unveiled, and the princess is sacrificed.
Burst in a mix of anger and sorrow, Clytemnestra swears herself she will take revenge on his murdered daughter. While Agamemnon is fighting the Trojans in their land (remember that the battle lasted for ten years), Clytemnestra commits adultery and marries Aegisthus, who becomes the new king of Mycenae. Not explicitly known to Clytemnestra, the curse on the descendants of Atreus is on its way, a vendetta previously invoked by Thyestes, father of Aegisthus.
The war now is over and Agamemnon sails back to his kingdom with a new war gift in his hands: the Trojan princess Cassandra, his new mate. Clytemnestra prepares a murderous homecoming for Agamemnon in the royal palace, setting were she savagely kills him with the help of Aegisthus. Cassandra doesn't escape death; she is slain together with his partner.
All these years Orestes has been brought up in exile, waiting for his father Agamemnon to return home and claim his kingship. After the news of his father's murder by the hands of Clytemnestra reach his ears, he starts plotting a way to kill both Aegisthus and his own mother. Orestes returns to his homeland and joins her sister Electra in the avenge of their father. Now the usurpers of the throne are dead.
...
Next is a list of some of the books I suggest you read that have to do with this further understanding of the painting.
- Iphigenia at Aulis (Euripides): the context and theme of the present painting
This interwoven of stories is perhaps the main reason why when you start reading any classical book (such as Aeschylus' "Oresteia"), you'll find the need to keep on reading other tales and authors: the more you read, the less you know.
The story behind the painting
Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, married Clytemnestra and made her mother of four children: Iphigenia, Electra, Orestes and Chrysothemis. After the abduction of Helen by the Trojan prince Paris, the Greeks - commanded by Agamemnon - join forces and get prepared to set sails to Asia Minor in order to recover the honour of Menelaus, husband of Helen and brother of Agamemnon. When the Greek fleet is preparing at Aulis to depart for Troy to begin the Trojan War, the goddess Artemis, still angered with Agamemnon for his killing of a sacred animal of hers, becalm the winds. The prophet Calchas tells Atreus' son that the only way to appease the goddess and recover the breeze that will lead them to the foreign land, is by offering her daughter Iphigenia in sacrifice. Clytemnestra happily takes her daughter to Aulis framed by Agamemnon that their Iphigenia was to marry mighty Achilles, prince of Myrmidons. Once there, the plot is unveiled, and the princess is sacrificed.
Burst in a mix of anger and sorrow, Clytemnestra swears herself she will take revenge on his murdered daughter. While Agamemnon is fighting the Trojans in their land (remember that the battle lasted for ten years), Clytemnestra commits adultery and marries Aegisthus, who becomes the new king of Mycenae. Not explicitly known to Clytemnestra, the curse on the descendants of Atreus is on its way, a vendetta previously invoked by Thyestes, father of Aegisthus.
The war now is over and Agamemnon sails back to his kingdom with a new war gift in his hands: the Trojan princess Cassandra, his new mate. Clytemnestra prepares a murderous homecoming for Agamemnon in the royal palace, setting were she savagely kills him with the help of Aegisthus. Cassandra doesn't escape death; she is slain together with his partner.
All these years Orestes has been brought up in exile, waiting for his father Agamemnon to return home and claim his kingship. After the news of his father's murder by the hands of Clytemnestra reach his ears, he starts plotting a way to kill both Aegisthus and his own mother. Orestes returns to his homeland and joins her sister Electra in the avenge of their father. Now the usurpers of the throne are dead.
...
Next is a list of some of the books I suggest you read that have to do with this further understanding of the painting.
- Iphigenia at Aulis (Euripides): the context and theme of the present painting
- The Iliad (Homer): the war against Troy
- Dialogues of the Gods - The Judgement of the Goddesses (Lucian): the satiric version of 'The Judgement of Paris', reason of the Trojan War
- The Oresteia (Aeschylus) - Orestes' and Electra's vengeance on his murdered father by his wife
- Electra (Euripides, Sophocles) - similar theme to Aeschylus' Orseteia, now focused on the character of Electra
- Thyestes (Seneca) - the curse of the house of Atreus
- The Oresteia (Aeschylus) - Orestes' and Electra's vengeance on his murdered father by his wife
- Electra (Euripides, Sophocles) - similar theme to Aeschylus' Orseteia, now focused on the character of Electra
- Thyestes (Seneca) - the curse of the house of Atreus
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment