The Oresteia deals with the final days of the House of Atreus. The trilogy is considered Aeschylus’ finest work and one of the greatest works of world literature. It is believe The Oresteia was first performed at the Dionysia, a major festival in Athens, in 458 BC, where it won first prize. This is the only known surviving trilogy of Greek tragedy plays. The Oresteia is made up of three plays – Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides – that form a proper trilogy (unlike the three plays that make up Sophocles’ The Theban Plays). Only seven of Aeschylus’ plays have survived intact. In comparison, Sophocles won between 20-25 competitions (sometimes beating Aeschylus to second place) while Euripides may have won only 4 or 5. He is said to have won 14-15 dramatic competitions in Athens. He is sometimes known as the Father of Greek Tragedy. Aeschylus is one of three classical Greek tragedians whose plays have survived.
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