Although
The Eumenides is technically a tragedy, and part of a tragic trilogy along with
Agamemnon and
The Libation Bearers, the play actually ends with celebration and ritual, a symbol that order has been restored to the universe. “Tragedy” was a looser term in Ancient Greek drama, and didn’t necessarily mean that the play always ended with death and sorrow. The celebration taking place onstage eventually spills into the audience, a reminder that this play was actually performed at an enormous Athenian religious festival. Thus Aeschylus ends his series of plays both by confirming Athenian supremacy and might, and celebrating the bond between theater and religion.