How does the Oresteia replace revenge with the rule of law?

In the Oresteia, Aeschylus resolves an interminable cycle of blood vengeance by transitioning from private retribution to the rule of law administered by the state.12

The trilogy depicts a progression of violence: first, Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, to avenge their daughter; subsequently, their son Orestes kills his mother to avenge his father. This act of matricide triggers the Furies, ancient deities of vengeance who pursue Orestes for his crime.123

The cycle is broken in the final play, Eumenides, when the goddess Athena establishes a formal trial in Athens. By organizing a jury of citizens to hear the case, Athena replaces the chaotic, personal pursuit of revenge with a structured judicial process. Following Orestes' acquittal, Athena successfully persuades the Furies to abandon their vengeful resentment in exchange for a new role as honored protectors of the city. This transformation signifies the triumph of civic justice over the primitive, self-perpetuating cycle of blood feuds.123