The Herald comes in carrying an olive branch, which is a sign of victory. He brings news that Greece is at peace and that Troy has fallen which completely satisfies the Chorus. Herald feels totally elated and blessed to be back:.
"Never dreamt I"d die in Greece.".
Ironically he won't die in Troy. The Herald tells of how the Greek army has fared and that they took their share of casualties:.
"At Scamanders Banks we took our share.".
Now the living have returned home. He praises Agamemnon out of everyone first:.
"He comes, he brings us light in the darkness free for every comrade Agamemnon lord of men".
They are full of praise of king.
The Herald starts to tell us the full extent of Greek victory. While he's bragging about Agamemnons greatness:.
"He dug Troy down alters gone!".
This is symbolic because the object of praise is violation of Troys temples. The Greeks had violated the codes of war. Clytemnestra would be happy to be hearing this. The Herald compares the greatness of Agamemnon and his men to the losses of Priam - ancient king of Troy.
The Chorus Leader welcomes the Herald home. In the Stichomythia we learn that those who went to Troy longed for home and those who were left behind longed for the armies. The leader inferes that there is a threat and that they felt threatened without the armies and because of Clytemnestra.
We get detailed hardships of war from the Herald:.
"who but a god can go through life unharmed".
The men have been turned into animals "penned in" treated like beasts. They went through miseries "every sun starved day". .
The armies have been killed, "soaked in the marshes till their scalps crawled with lice". They have suffered every element of cold and heat at extremes. But after this mental torture, the Herald just wants to put the whole thing behind him.
Clytemnestra tells the old men off for not havin belived her before:.
"you've made me seem deranged.".
She points out the sacrifice. She turns to the Herald and tells the Herald to tell Agamemnon to get home quickly because the people are awaiting his return.