Blood
In The Eumenides, blood is essentially synonymous with guilt. This connection makes itself clear from the very first scene of the play, when a terrified Pythia describes Orestes, drenched in blood, waiting at…
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Urns
When it comes time for Orestes’ trial, the citizens of Athens cast their ballots into urns in order to determine Orestes’ guilt or innocence. These urns, which ensure anonymous voting, are symbols of justice and…
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The Navelstone
Thought to be a stone that Zeus had used to mark the center of the Earth, the Navelstone was a religious relic kept at Delphi, and the Greeks considered it enormously sacred. Apollo allows Orestes…
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The Stone of Outrage
Athena places Orestes at this stone during the trial in order to emblemize how wronged he has been by the unrelenting Furies.
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The Stone of Unmercifulness
Athena has the Furies stand by this stone in order to symbolize their tenacity, and their refusal to stray from their vengeful task.
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