XIII. THE GREEK CHIEFS AFTER THE WAR.
Great was the rejoicing of the Greeks at having at last brought the long and terrible war to a successful end. They had lost heavily in men and treasure, but they had defeated and destroyed the enemy, and taken possession of all the wealth of the rich city of Troy. They now looked forward with pleasure to the prospect of a safe return to their homes and families, which they had not seen for ten years. But for some of them, as we shall see, this happy hope was never realized.
The most unfortunate of them all was Agamemnon. He reached his kingdom and city of Mycenæ in safety, but he was there cruelly murdered by Æ-gisʹthus, a relative of his, whom his wife, Clytemnestra, had married during his absence.
Ægisthus planned a snare.
He chose among the people twenty men,
The bravest, whom he stationed out of sight,
And gave command that others should prepare
A banquet. Then with chariots and with steeds,
And with a deadly purpose in his heart,
He went, and, meeting Agamemnon, bade
The shepherd of the people to the feast,
And slew him at the board.
Bryant, Odyssey, Book IV.
The Trojan princess, Cassandra, who accompanied Agamemnon to Mycenæ, had warned him of his doom, but as usual her words were disregarded, and she herself was slain at the same time as the ill-fated king. Agamemnon had a son named O-resʹtes, who was then but a boy, and Ægisthus intended to kill him also, but the youth's sister, E-lecʹtra, contrived to have him sent secretly to the court of his uncle, Stroʹphi-us, king of Phoʹcis. Here he was affectionately received and tenderly cared for. His constant companion was his cousin, Pylʹa-des, the son of Strophius, and so strong was their friendship for each other that it became famous in song and story.
When Orestes reached the years of manhood, he resolved to punish the murderers of his father. With this object he went to Mycenæ, taking with him his friend and companion, Pylades; and having obtained admission to the royal palace, he slew Ægisthus.
Seven years in rich Mycenæ he bore rule,
And on the eighth, to his destruction, came
The nobly-born Orestes, just returned
From Athens, and cut off that man of blood,
The crafty wretch Ægisthus, by whose hand
Fell his illustrious father.
Bryant, Odyssey, Book III.
As Clytemnestra had taken part in the murder of Agamemnon, Orestes slew her also. This killing of his own mother provoked the anger of the gods, and Orestes was commanded to go to the oracle of Apollo, at Delphi, to learn there what punishment he should suffer for his crime. He obeyed, and the oracle told him that he must bring to Greece a statue of Diana which was then in the temple of that goddess in Taurica.