Orestes
Profile
When he killed his mom Clytemnestra, Orestes became the most notorious mother killer of all time. Before you go thinking he was just a psycho, though, you ought to know that Orestes committed matricide because Clytemnestra murdered Agamemnon, her husband and Orestes' father. Also, Orestes was ordered to avenge his father's death by Apollo himself. What's a guy to do? After the murder, Orestes was plagued by the furious Furies, until Athena finally stepped in and acquitted him in one of the first court cases ever. Extenuating circumstances comin' at ya.
Basic Information
Name Orestes
Nickname Mother Killer (not particularly fond of this nickname)
Sex Male
Current city Elysium
Work & Education
Occupation King of Mycenae (a.k.a. Argos)
Education The Furies' School of Retribution (forced attendance)
Athena's Academy of Justice (a happy graduate to say the least)Beliefs
Political views The court case in which I was acquitted is widely considered to have created the idea of democracy, so I have to say I'm pretty into it.
Family & Friends (& Enemies)
Parents Agamemnon (Dad) (who was killed by my mom)
Clytemnestra (Mom) (who I killed for killing my dad)Siblings Iphigenia (my sister who my father sacrificed—the reason my mom killed him)
Electra (my sister who helped me kill our mom)
Chrysothemis (didn't kill anybody—bo-ring)Children Tisamenus
Friends Pylades (total BFFs)
Apollo (who stood beside me through the scandal)
Athena (who absolved me of my crimes)Relationships
Relationship status Married to Hermione (no, not Hermione Granger)
Interested in My wife's okay
A lot of people say I have a thing with Pylades, my BFF, but I neither confirm nor denyFavorites
TV Shows Family Guy
Law and Order
Judge Judy (She totally reminds me of Athena who saved me from those Furies.)Quotations
"What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against"
– from "Criminal" by Fiona Apple
"Mama, [I] just killed a man..."
– from "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (I change this to "Oh man, I just killed Mama" when I sing it in the shower)
"You were a child,
crawlin' on your knees toward it.
Makin' Mama so proud,
but your voice was too loud."
– from "Kids" by MGMT
"Every whisper,
Every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool"
– from "Losing My Religion" by REM
"Forgiveness doesn't change the past, but it does enlarge the future."
– Paul BoeseBooks Agamemnon
Libation Bearers
The Eumenides
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (A lot of people say Hamlet was inspired by my life story.)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Flies by Jean-Paul Sartre (I wish I were really as smart as this guy makes me out to be.)
On the Road by Jack Kerouac (Totally reminds me of Pylades and my adventuring days.)
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill (This messed-up family almost seems happy compared to mine.)
Electra by Sophocles (Clearly this should be named after me and not my sis, but whatevs.)Music Some Nights by Fun.
Too Close by Alex Clare
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Criminal by Fiona Apple (Me too, Fiona...me too.)
Elephant Gun by Beirut
Hey Jude by the Beatles (I used to sing this to try and cheer up Electra.)
Kids by MGMT
Losing My Religion by REMMovies Psycho (At least I'm not nearly as bad as Norman Bates. Right...RIGHT?)
Misery (This crazy lady ought to get a job as a Fury.)
Throw Mamma from the Train (Yeah, that would've been easier.)
A Time to Kill
The Dark Knight (Sometimes justice gets dark.)
A Few Good Men (My life was saved in court, so I have a thing for courtroom dramas.)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Mommie Dearest (This lady is nowhere near as bad as my Mom.)Activities & Interests
Likes Ping pong
Fury repellent
Court TVInterests Psychiatry
Law
DemocracyGroups Union of Kings
Mother Killer Support Group
The Anti-Fury League
Ping Pong ExpertsSpotter's Guide
Back in the day, it would've been super easy to spot Orestes. After he killed his mother, the Furies tortured him until he went totally nuts, so he tended to make a spectacle of himself. He spent a lot of time stumbling around Greece, frothing at the mouth and screaming, so he kind of stood out. After Athena convinced the Furies to chill about the whole matricide thing, though, Orestes got a lot more chill. These days, he spends his time relaxing in Elysium with his BFF Pylades, where they engage in an eternal game of ping pong.
Sex: Male
Age: 20s-30s
Build: Toned
Complexion: Tan
Hair Color: Blonde
Facial Hair: Clean shaven
Scars/marks/tattoos: Tons of battle scars
Jewelry and accessories: Crown of Mycenae/Argos
Clothing: Robes
Armor: Shiny
Type of Weapon: Sword, daggerTypical Companions:
Pylades
ElectraKnown Hangouts:
Mycenae
Mt. Parnassus
AthensSightings
Dec 20, 2019
The Oresteia by Aeschylus
In this tragic trilogy, Agamemnon's murder sets off a horrific chain of events. First, Agamemnon makes it home from the war, but gets murdered in a bathtub by his wife, Clytemnestra. Second, Orestes, Agamemnon's son, returns home, and with the encouragement of his sister, Electra, avenges his father's death by killing Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. Finally, the Furies plague Orestes for killing his mother, but the cycle of violence is put to rest in a trial hosted by Athena. Whew.
Dec 20, 2019 - Dec 20, 2019
Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides
In this tragedy, Orestes and Pylades go on a quest to rescue a statue of Artemis, and find out that Iphigenia is alive and working as a priestess of Artemis.
Dec 20, 2019 - Dec 20, 2019
Electra by Euripides
Check out Euripides' take on Orestes murdering his mother.
Dec 20, 2019
Electra by Sophocles
Aaaaaand here's yet another version of the most famous matricide of all times.
Dec 20, 2019
Orestes by Euripides
Orestes and Electra are sentenced to death by Menelaus for killing Clytemnestra in this tragedy.
Dec 20, 2019 - Dec 20, 2019
Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides
Orestes appears as a baby in Clytemnestra's arms in this tragedy that tells the tale of Agamemnon deciding to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia.
Dec 20, 2019
The Flies by Jean-Paul Sartre
Orestes gets existential in this modern play that re-imagines the classic Greek takes on the myth.
Dec 20, 2019
These Seven Sicknesses by Sean Graney
In this modernized marathon of all of Sophocles' extant plays, Orestes and Electra get pretty friendly with each other as they plot to kill Clytemnestra.