Libation Bearers Explained | Aeschylus’ Darkest Revenge Tale
Histouric
[{'start': '0.480', 'end': '7.559', 'text': 'In the silence of a graveyard, a young'}, {'start': '3.200', 'end': '11.280', 'text': 'man returns. His name is Orestes. His'}, {'start': '7.559', 'end': '15.160', 'text': 'mission, avenge his father by murdering'}, {'start': '11.280', 'end': '18.000', 'text': 'his own mother. This is the'}, {'start': '15.160', 'end': '22.400', 'text': 'libationbearers, a Greek tragedy soaked'}, {'start': '18.000', 'end': '22.400', 'text': 'in blood, justice, and'}, {'start': '25.080', 'end': '30.160', 'text': "destiny. Let's ground this story in some"}, {'start': '27.760', 'end': '32.960', 'text': 'realworld facts.'}, {'start': '30.160', 'end': '36.399', 'text': 'In ancient Greece, a libation was a'}, {'start': '32.960', 'end': '38.399', 'text': 'sacred ritual. The pouring of wine, oil,'}, {'start': '36.399', 'end': '40.960', 'text': 'or honey onto the ground as an offering'}, {'start': '38.399', 'end': '44.559', 'text': 'to the gods or to the dead. It was an'}, {'start': '40.960', 'end': '46.719', 'text': 'act of memory and of pleading. In this'}, {'start': '44.559', 'end': '49.559', 'text': 'play, libations are poured over'}, {'start': '46.719', 'end': '54.520', 'text': "Agamemnon's grave, calling his spirit"}, {'start': '49.559', 'end': '54.520', 'text': 'back and asking for vengeance.'}, {'start': '56.920', 'end': '61.359', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '58.079', 'end': '63.479', 'text': 'The story begins with a curse, a family'}, {'start': '61.359', 'end': '65.960', 'text': 'curse that stretches back'}, {'start': '63.479', 'end': '69.200', 'text': 'generations. This is the house of'}, {'start': '65.960', 'end': '72.439', 'text': 'Atrius, a dynasty steeped in betrayal'}, {'start': '69.200', 'end': '74.880', 'text': 'and blood. Arrestes is the son of'}, {'start': '72.439', 'end': '77.920', 'text': 'Agamemnon, the king who led the Greeks'}, {'start': '74.880', 'end': '81.200', 'text': 'to victory in the Trojan War, a conflict'}, {'start': '77.920', 'end': '84.080', 'text': 'fought from around 1190 B.CE. according'}, {'start': '81.200', 'end': '87.680', 'text': 'to tradition. But when Agamemnon'}, {'start': '84.080', 'end': '92.640', 'text': 'returned home to Myini, his wife Clyde'}, {'start': '87.680', 'end': '95.159', 'text': 'Nestra killed him in cold blood. Why?'}, {'start': '92.640', 'end': '98.320', 'text': 'Because he sacrificed their daughter'}, {'start': '95.159', 'end': '101.360', 'text': 'Ephagenia to secure favorable winds for'}, {'start': '98.320', 'end': '104.479', 'text': 'the Greek fleet. Now years later,'}, {'start': '101.360', 'end': '109.040', 'text': 'Orestes has come home, commanded by the'}, {'start': '104.479', 'end': '111.840', 'text': 'god Apollo to set things right. But what'}, {'start': '109.040', 'end': '114.240', 'text': 'is justice when it means killing your'}, {'start': '111.840', 'end': '114.240', 'text': 'own'}, {'start': '115.720', 'end': '122.640', 'text': 'blood? The libation bearers is part two'}, {'start': '119.280', 'end': '124.360', 'text': 'in a trilogy written by the earliest of'}, {'start': '122.640', 'end': '127.239', 'text': 'the three great Greek'}, {'start': '124.360', 'end': '132.800', 'text': 'tragedians. It was first performed in'}, {'start': '127.239', 'end': '135.440', 'text': '458 BCE in Athens at the city Dionicia,'}, {'start': '132.800', 'end': '138.000', 'text': 'a grand religious festival honoring the'}, {'start': '135.440', 'end': '141.599', 'text': 'god Dionis.'}, {'start': '138.000', 'end': '143.760', 'text': 'The full trilogy known as the Orista is'}, {'start': '141.599', 'end': '147.840', 'text': 'the only complete one we have from all'}, {'start': '143.760', 'end': '151.599', 'text': 'of antiquity. It includes Agamemnon, the'}, {'start': '147.840', 'end': '157.080', 'text': 'libation bearers and the humanities and'}, {'start': '151.599', 'end': '160.720', 'text': 'traces the evolution from blood feud to'}, {'start': '157.080', 'end': '161.800', 'text': 'law. Before we judge her, we have to'}, {'start': '160.720', 'end': '166.239', 'text': 'understand'}, {'start': '161.800', 'end': '168.640', 'text': 'her. Plumnestra was no ordinary queen.'}, {'start': '166.239', 'end': '171.599', 'text': "She ruled in her husband's absence,"}, {'start': '168.640', 'end': '174.560', 'text': 'governed the palace, and held power in a'}, {'start': '171.599', 'end': '177.440', 'text': 'world where women were often silent. But'}, {'start': '174.560', 'end': '181.239', 'text': 'she was also wounded. She lost a'}, {'start': '177.440', 'end': '185.000', 'text': 'daughter to war, and in her eyes, her'}, {'start': '181.239', 'end': '189.080', 'text': 'husband was the killer. She took a'}, {'start': '185.000', 'end': '193.280', 'text': 'lover, a gist, and plotted'}, {'start': '189.080', 'end': '197.120', 'text': 'revenge. Was her act murder or divine'}, {'start': '193.280', 'end': '197.120', 'text': 'justice of her own?'}, {'start': '198.480', 'end': '205.319', 'text': 'In classical Athens, women were rarely'}, {'start': '200.959', 'end': '208.159', 'text': 'seen in public life. Yet on stage, they'}, {'start': '205.319', 'end': '211.440', 'text': 'roared. Greek tragedy gave voice to'}, {'start': '208.159', 'end': '215.560', 'text': "women's pain, fury, and power. From"}, {'start': '211.440', 'end': '217.920', 'text': 'media to antiggony, and'}, {'start': '215.560', 'end': '222.879', 'text': 'herenestra, her character broke all'}, {'start': '217.920', 'end': '222.879', 'text': 'molds. Queen, mother,'}, {'start': '223.640', 'end': '229.840', 'text': "murderer. Back at Agamemnon's tomb,"}, {'start': '226.560', 'end': '232.480', 'text': 'Arrestes meets his sister, Electra.'}, {'start': '229.840', 'end': '235.680', 'text': "She's come with women, libation bearers,"}, {'start': '232.480', 'end': '238.920', 'text': 'to pour wine and honor the dead. But she'}, {'start': '235.680', 'end': '242.239', 'text': "doesn't mourn in silence. She prays for"}, {'start': '238.920', 'end': '244.799', 'text': 'revenge. Arrestes reveals himself. And'}, {'start': '242.239', 'end': '249.280', 'text': 'together they plot to kill the mother'}, {'start': '244.799', 'end': '252.210', 'text': 'they once clung to. The gods demand it.'}, {'start': '249.280', 'end': '253.760', 'text': 'The furies watch in the shadows.'}, {'start': '252.210', 'end': '257.519', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '253.760', 'end': '258.359', 'text': 'The Furies were ancient goddesses older'}, {'start': '257.519', 'end': '261.199', 'text': 'than'}, {'start': '258.359', 'end': '262.280', 'text': 'Zeus. They punished blood crimes with'}, {'start': '261.199', 'end': '265.440', 'text': 'endless'}, {'start': '262.280', 'end': '268.639', 'text': 'torment. You could not escape them. You'}, {'start': '265.440', 'end': '272.479', 'text': "could not outrun them. They didn't care"}, {'start': '268.639', 'end': '278.199', 'text': 'about courts. They only wanted balance.'}, {'start': '272.479', 'end': '278.199', 'text': 'And when arrestes killed, they came.'}, {'start': '280.479', 'end': '286.160', 'text': 'The play is set in Mysini, an ancient'}, {'start': '283.280', 'end': '289.400', 'text': 'city in the northeastern Pelpine. It was'}, {'start': '286.160', 'end': '292.720', 'text': 'once the heart of a powerful Bronze Age'}, {'start': '289.400', 'end': '295.639', 'text': "civilization. Even in Escilus's day, its"}, {'start': '292.720', 'end': '298.880', 'text': 'ruins stood as a memory of a more brutal'}, {'start': '295.639', 'end': '302.130', 'text': 'past. Its lion gate and royal tombs'}, {'start': '298.880', 'end': '304.160', 'text': 'still exist today.'}, {'start': '302.130', 'end': '306.800', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '304.160', 'end': '310.560', 'text': 'Arrestes returns to the palace disguised'}, {'start': '306.800', 'end': '314.240', 'text': 'as a traveler. He is welcomed inside. He'}, {'start': '310.560', 'end': '317.680', 'text': 'kills Ajisus first swiftly. Then he'}, {'start': '314.240', 'end': '320.320', 'text': 'faces her. Clay Nestra begs for her'}, {'start': '317.680', 'end': '324.479', 'text': "life. She bears her breast. A mother's"}, {'start': '320.320', 'end': '327.520', 'text': 'plea. He hesitates. But then he strikes.'}, {'start': '324.479', 'end': '328.740', 'text': 'She falls. And with her any hope of'}, {'start': '327.520', 'end': '329.919', 'text': 'peace.'}, {'start': '328.740', 'end': '333.360', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '329.919', 'end': '337.600', 'text': 'He did what the gods asked. He avenged'}, {'start': '333.360', 'end': '340.600', 'text': 'his father, but now he is haunted. He'}, {'start': '337.600', 'end': '343.320', 'text': 'flees the palace, eyes wide, soul'}, {'start': '340.600', 'end': '348.290', 'text': 'shattered. The furies rise from the'}, {'start': '343.320', 'end': '351.939', 'text': 'underworld. No sleep, no rest, no'}, {'start': '348.290', 'end': '351.939', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '352.840', 'end': '358.639', 'text': 'mercy. The libation bearers asks'}, {'start': '355.759', 'end': '362.400', 'text': 'questions we still fear to answer. Is'}, {'start': '358.639', 'end': '365.199', 'text': 'revenge ever justice? Does duty excuse'}, {'start': '362.400', 'end': '367.520', 'text': 'murder? Can the sins of parents poison'}, {'start': '365.199', 'end': '370.720', 'text': 'their children? And if the gods are'}, {'start': '367.520', 'end': '373.759', 'text': 'silent, who decides right and wrong?'}, {'start': '370.720', 'end': '374.759', 'text': 'This tragedy ends not with peace, but'}, {'start': '373.759', 'end': '379.280', 'text': 'with a'}, {'start': '374.759', 'end': '382.479', 'text': 'chase. Arrestes is on the run, and we,'}, {'start': '379.280', 'end': '385.800', 'text': 'the audience, are left wondering, what'}, {'start': '382.479', 'end': '389.960', 'text': 'would you have done in his'}, {'start': '385.800', 'end': '393.360', 'text': 'place? 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