In this paper, the author gives an account of the final trial scene in Aeschylus’ Eumenides, which in his opinion could be described as a subtle literary representation of the imperial justification of the exercise of criminal legal power over foreigners in classical Athens. Based on a philosophical exploration of the importance of criminal pollution and the need to create a new tribunal—the Areopagus—to institutionally overcome its dreadful consequences, it is contended that Aeschylean drama provides us with an aesthetic justification in antiquity for the creation (and imposition) of courts concerned with international offences which were considered to be extremely serious and dangerous for Athenian interests.

在本文中，作者描述了埃斯库罗斯的《欧墨尼德斯》中最后审判的场景，在他看来，这可以说是对古典雅典帝国对外国人行使刑事法律权力的正当性的一种微妙的文学再现。基于对犯罪污染的重要性的哲学探索以及建立新法庭——Areopagus——以在制度上克服其可怕后果的必要性，有人认为埃斯库罗斯戏剧为我们提供了古代创作（和强加）的美学理由) 处理被认为对雅典利益极其严重和危险的国际罪行的法院。