nctuary is then laid bare. Orestes is
awake, but the Furies sleep on. Apollo, standing beside Orestes,
promises to protect him, but bids him make all haste to Athens, and
there clasp, as a suppliant, the image of Athena. Orestes flies. The
ghost of Clytemnestra rises from the underworld, and calls upon the
Chorus to pursue. Overcome by their toil, they moan in their sleep, but
finally start to their feet. Apollo bids them quit the temple.

The scene changes to the ancient temple of Athena on the Acropolis at
Athens, where Orestes is seen clasping the image of the goddess. The
Chorus enter in pursuit of their victim, and sing an ode descriptive of
their powers.

Athena appears, and learns from the Chorus and from Orestes the reasons
for their presence. She declares the issue to be too grave even for her
to decide, and determines to choose judges of the murder, who shall
become a solemn tribunal for all future time. These are to be the best
of the citizens of Athens. After an ode by the Chorus, she returns, the
court is established, and the trial proceeds in due form. Apollo appears
for the defense of Orestes. When the arguments have been presented,
Athena proclaims, before the vote has been taken, the establishment of
the court as a permanent tribunal for the trial of cases of bloodshed.
Its seat shall be the Areopagus. The votes are cast and Orestes is
acquitted. He departs for Argos. The Furies break forth in anger and
threaten woes to the land, but are appeased by Athena, who establishes
their worship forever in Attica. Heretofore they have been the Erinnyes,
or Furies; henceforth they shall be the Eumenides, or Gracious
Goddesses. The Eumenides are escorted from the scene in solemn
procession.

Any analysis of the plays so brief as the preceding is necessarily
inadequate. The English reader is referred to the histories of Greek
Literature by K.O. Mueller and by J.P. Mahaffy, to the striking chapter
on Aeschylus in J.A. Symonds's 'Greek Poets,' and, for the trilogy, to
Moulton's 'Ancient Classical Drama.' If he knows French, he should add
Croiset's 'Histoire de la Litterature Grecque,' and should by all means
read M. Patin's volume on Aeschylus in his 'Etudes sur les Tragique
Grecs.' There are translations in English of the poet's complete works
by Potter, by Plumptre, by Blackie, and by Miss Swanwick. Flaxman
illustrated the plays. Ancient illustrations are easily accessible in
Baumeister's 'Denkmaeler,' under the