Orestes

American  

[aw-res-teez, oh-res‑] / ɔˈrɛs tiz, oʊˈrɛs‑ /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and the brother of Electra and Iphigenia: he avenged the murder of Agamemnon by killing Clytemenestra and her lover, Aegisthus, then was pursued by the Furies until saved by Athena.

2. (italics) a tragedy (408 b.c.) by Euripides.

---

Orestes British  

/ ɒˈrɛstiːz /

noun

1. Greek myth the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, who killed his mother and her lover Aegisthus in revenge for their murder of his father

---

Orestes Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, and brother of Electra. Agamemnon was killed by Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. To avenge the murder, Orestes and Electra killed them both.

---

Example Sentences

The matricide trial of Orestes, portrayed as a shining moment for Athens by Aeschylus in “The Oresteia,” becomes a nihilistic farce in the hands of Euripides.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Migrant life is hard, said Orestes Gómez, a Venezeulan-born percussionist who tours with Rawayana.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

For Mr. Warlikowski, Thomas’s protagonist shares a great deal in common with the mythological figure of Orestes.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

“No one is going to be left without seeds to plant again and recover losses,” said Salvadoran Agriculture Minister Orestes Ortez.

From Reuters • Jul. 26, 2018

The dread forms of his pursuers, the Erinyes, the Furies, were arrayed against him, but Orestes listened calmly to their demand for vengeance.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton