Orestes

Family: mythological · Role: Greek hero · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 22

After slaying Ægisthus—while Pylades killed those who came to Ægisthus’ aid—Orestes escaped punishment and erected an altar to Athene. At the Areopagus, he was sheltered, fed, and purified until the expiatory rites were complete. Hermione remained with him all her life and bore him a son; he later gave Electra away when she married Pylades. A statue inscribed as Augustus was said to be Orestes.

After Cylarabes died childless, Orestes acquired the kingdom of Argos. He and Iphigenia stole a wooden statue from the Tauric Chersonese, which the Lacedæmonians said was brought to their country during his reign. When Orestes died, Tisamenus, his son by Hermione, succeeded him; Penthilus was also his son, born to him by Erigone. His bones were found in a blacksmith’s shop at Tegea by Lichas, then brought to Sparta and buried according to an oracle.

After the murder of his mother, Clytæmnestra, Orestes was driven mad. In his madness he gnawed off a finger, but at Ace he was healed and turned away the goddesses’ wrath with expiations; he also cut off his hair inside a temple. Later, he announced Rome’s decision that several territories need not remain in the Achæan League, and tried to stop the Achæans from plundering people they suspected of being Spartans. He reached the Roman army with Mummius, who took command and sent Metellus and his forces back to Macedonia.