Orestes

First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.7

🌐 Also appears in: The Odyssey (as Orestes) · The Aeneid (as Orestes) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Orestes)

The accounts name Perimede and Achelous as Orestes’s parents, while another says that Agamemnon had a son, Orestes. Electra smuggled him away and gave him to Strophius to raise; later, Orestes returned secretly to Mycenae with Pylades and “killed both his mother and Aegisthus,” Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus, to avenge Agamemnon’s murder.

Not long afterwards, afflicted with madness and pursued by the Furies, Orestes went to Athens and was tried in the Areopagus. He was variously said to have been brought to trial by the Furies, Tyndareus, or Erigone, daughter of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra, and was acquitted when the votes were equally divided. He later slew Neoptolemus at Delphi and is said to have married Hermione, who had previously been betrothed to him in Troy, or, according to some, Erigone. His son was Tisamenus, who reigned over the Peloponnesians.

Relationship record

Life events

• Orestes killed his mother Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus to avenge Agamemnon's murder.(Apollodorus, Epitome 6 · 📍 Mycenae)
  • With: Clytaemnestra Aegisthus
  • “so he departed secretly to Mycenae in company with Pylades, and killed both his mother and Aegisthus.”
• Orestes was tried in the Areopagus and acquitted after the votes were equally divided.(Apollodorus, Epitome 6 · 📍 Athens)
  • “And not long afterwards, being afflicted with madness and pursued by the Furies, he repaired to Athens and was tried in the Areopagus. He is variously said to have been brought to trial by the Furies, or by Tyndareus, or by Erigone, daughter of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra; and the votes at his trial being equal he was acquitted.”

Apollodorus, Library 1.7

• parent: Perimede “Perimede had Hippodamas and Orestes by Achelous”
• parent: Achelous “Perimede had Hippodamas and Orestes by Achelous”

Apollodorus, Library 2.8

• child: Tisamenus (parent->child) “when Tisamenus, son of Orestes, was reigning over the Peloponnesians.”

Apollodorus, Epitome 2

• parent: Agamemnon (Orestes was born to Agamemnon.) “there were born to Agamemnon a son Orestes”

Apollodorus, Epitome 6

• with Neoptolemus (interaction) “for that reason he was slain by Orestes at Delphi”
• married with Hermione “having himself married Hermione”
• married with Erigone “having himself married Hermione, or, according to some, Erigone”
• siblings with Electra “Electra, one of Agamemnon's daughters, smuggled away her brother Orestes”
• guardian: Strophius “gave him to Strophius, the Phocian, to bring up”
• friends with Pylades “he departed secretly to Mycenae in company with Pylades”
• with Aegisthus (interaction) “killed both his mother and Aegisthus”
• with Clytaemnestra (interaction) “killed both his mother and Aegisthus”
• with Pylades (They traveled together.) “he departed secretly to Mycenae in company with Pylades”
• engaged with Hermione “his wife Hermione, who had previously been betrothed to him in Troy”
• parent: Clytaemnestra (Clytaemnestra is Orestes's mother.) “killed both his mother and Aegisthus”
• with Tyndareus (Tyndareus was said to have brought Orestes to trial.) “He is variously said to have been brought to trial by the Furies, or by Tyndareus”
• with Erigone (Erigone was said to have brought Orestes to trial.) “or by Erigone, daughter of Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.