DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.Trace the lines of revenge that end when Orestes is given mercy.
2.What if anything is the difference between the Biblical blood avenger (Numbers 23:10-34) and the Greek idea of blood revenge?
3. Leithart says the Eumenides is full of contrasts & conflicts and gives the following list:
Theology: Furies vs. Olympians
Sexual: Female vs. male
Social Unit: House (blood) vs. city (contract)
Basis of Society: Blood vs. contract:
Resolve disputes: Feud vs. court
Speech: Oracles vs. argument
Geography: Delphi vs. Athens
Justice: Revenge “eye for eye” vs. law:
Can you discuss any of these?
4.*Complexities:
a.Agamemnon’s choice: attack Troy (city) vs. protect Iphigenia (blood)
b.Orestes in Libation Bearers: attack house (mother) to preserve house (regain throne)
c.In Eumenides struggle is explicitly between values of house & values of city; preservation of Orestes’s house accomplished by Athena’s city; house isn’t destroyed but resurrected as part of city
d.Likewise, theological change doesn’t mean older gods are rejected; instead they are changed—furies become eumenides (lines 833-926, especially, 913-923)
5.What is the significance of Pythia’s initial speech?
6.*“Politically, blood feud can lead only to anarchy or tyranny.” (Leithart, p. 288): in Agamemnon death of Agamemnon leads to anarchy as chorus breaks from unity to individual members (lines 1374-1391) and then to tyranny as Aegisthus takes control. Olympians favor “Neither anarchy nor tyranny, my people. Worship the mean……” (lines 709-721)
7.What is relationship between the Olympians and the Furies?
8.What is significance of Athena winning furies over with persuasion rather than force (833-846)?
9.Do you think the ending is realistic? Why or why not?
10.Acts 19 is only Biblical account of an assembly in ancient Greek. Does it seem edenic or is blood struggling within the city?
11.What is the difference between the mercy that Athena offers and the mercy Christ offers?
12.Is the blood for blood for blood demanded by the Furies the same as the blood for blood demanded by the Bible?
13.*What is the Areopagus? (1) Oldest and most respected council of ancient Athens; made up of prominent citizens who had held office of archon, the highest office in Athens; held office in Areopagus for life; early in 6th century B.C. a new group took over many of its duties-called the Council of 400; after Age of Pericles Areopagus only tried murder cases & looked after morals of citizens;
(2)Areopagus=Hill of Ares (cf. acropolis=highest city; acropolis of Athens 200’ above rest of city
14.List any obscure words in rest of play you would like to either look up or be told what they mean.
Note: questions with asterisks are not questions--they give you info
1.Trace the lines of revenge that end when Orestes is given mercy.
2.What if anything is the difference between the Biblical blood avenger (Numbers 23:10-34) and the Greek idea of blood revenge?
3. Leithart says the Eumenides is full of contrasts & conflicts and gives the following list:
Theology: Furies vs. Olympians
Sexual: Female vs. male
Social Unit: House (blood) vs. city (contract)
Basis of Society: Blood vs. contract:
Resolve disputes: Feud vs. court
Speech: Oracles vs. argument
Geography: Delphi vs. Athens
Justice: Revenge “eye for eye” vs. law:
Can you discuss any of these?
4.*Complexities:
a.Agamemnon’s choice: attack Troy (city) vs. protect Iphigenia (blood)
b.Orestes in Libation Bearers: attack house (mother) to preserve house (regain throne)
c.In Eumenides struggle is explicitly between values of house & values of city; preservation of Orestes’s house accomplished by Athena’s city; house isn’t destroyed but resurrected as part of city
d.Likewise, theological change doesn’t mean older gods are rejected; instead they are changed—furies become eumenides (lines 833-926, especially, 913-923)
5.What is the significance of Pythia’s initial speech?
6.*“Politically, blood feud can lead only to anarchy or tyranny.” (Leithart, p. 288): in Agamemnon death of Agamemnon leads to anarchy as chorus breaks from unity to individual members (lines 1374-1391) and then to tyranny as Aegisthus takes control. Olympians favor “Neither anarchy nor tyranny, my people. Worship the mean……” (lines 709-721)
7.What is relationship between the Olympians and the Furies?
8.What is significance of Athena winning furies over with persuasion rather than force (833-846)?
9.Do you think the ending is realistic? Why or why not?
10.Acts 19 is only Biblical account of an assembly in ancient Greek. Does it seem edenic or is blood struggling within the city?
11.What is the difference between the mercy that Athena offers and the mercy Christ offers?
12.Is the blood for blood for blood demanded by the Furies the same as the blood for blood demanded by the Bible?
13.*What is the Areopagus? (1) Oldest and most respected council of ancient Athens; made up of prominent citizens who had held office of archon, the highest office in Athens; held office in Areopagus for life; early in 6th century B.C. a new group took over many of its duties-called the Council of 400; after Age of Pericles Areopagus only tried murder cases & looked after morals of citizens;
(2)Areopagus=Hill of Ares (cf. acropolis=highest city; acropolis of Athens 200’ above rest of city
14.List any obscure words in rest of play you would like to either look up or be told what they mean.
Note: questions with asterisks are not questions--they give you info
posted by Ancient Literature & History at 4:22 AM
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