Murder of Agamemnon

The murder of Agamemnon, recalled through Aeschylus’ Oresteia, begins a chain of family violence that reaches beyond the king’s death. Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War to a wife who intends to kill him; after his death, their son Orestes avenges him by killing Clytemnestra, and is pursued by the Furies.

Mythic Background

Agamemnon’s return from Troy is the starting circumstance of the tragedy. Clytemnestra awaits him with the intention of killing him, carrying forward the consequences of his sacrifice of their daughter. The account also identifies her lover as part of the circumstances surrounding the planned killing.

Murder and Revenge

Clytemnestra kills Agamemnon after his return. The death sets the next act of violence in motion: their son Orestes kills his mother to avenge his father. In this sequence, revenge makes the family’s violence recur rather than resolve with the king’s death.

Aftermath and Significance

Orestes is pursued and tormented by the Furies after killing Clytemnestra. The Oresteia reference thus links Agamemnon’s murder to a continuing consequence: the avenger himself becomes the pursued figure. The episode presents the king’s death not as an isolated killing but as the beginning of a tragic succession of murder, revenge, and torment.