Clytemnestra – Mythopedia Clytemnestra, daughter of Tyndareus and Leda, was the wife of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae She and her lover Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon when he returned home from the Trojan War, but were later killed in turn by Orestes, Agamemnon and Clytemnestra’s son
Agamemnon (Play) – Mythopedia Clytemnestra’s infidelity is a consistent feature of the Agamemnon myth As the story goes, while Agamemnon was away fighting at Troy, Clytemnestra began an adulterous affair with Aegisthus, Agamemnon’s cousin and sworn enemy When Agamemnon returned victorious from Troy after ten years, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus murdered him together
Iphigenia – Mythopedia Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, was a princess of Mycenae During the Trojan War, Artemis demanded Iphigenia as a sacrifice in exchange for a wind to blow the Greek ships to Troy
Agamemnon – Mythopedia Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, was a general and hero who led the Greek army to victory in the Trojan War He was later murdered by his wife Clytemnestra
Eumenides – Mythopedia The Eumenides is a tragedy composed by Aeschylus around 458 BCE It is the final entry in the tragic trilogy known as the Oresteia The play depicts Orestes’ trial and eventual acquittal for the murder of his mother Clytemnestra
Aegisthus – Mythopedia Aegisthus was the son of Thyestes, who had long quarreled viciously with his brother Atreus Aegisthus eventually killed his uncle Atreus, as well as Atreus’ son Agamemnon, thus usurping the throne of Mycenae He also took Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra as his lover before being killed by Agamemnon’s son Orestes
Iphigenia in Aulis – Mythopedia Most notably, Clytemnestra places her responsibility to her children above all else, including her duty to Greece or her husband The Iphigenia in Aulis also explores the meaning and nature of war, particularly as it relates to Panhellenism (that is, the idea of a unified Greek or “Hellenic” identity and ideology)
Helen of Troy – Mythopedia Helen of Troy, “the face that launched a thousand ships,” was a daughter of Zeus and Leda who was famous for her extraordinary beauty When Helen left her Greek husband for a handsome Trojan prince, the Greeks started the Trojan War to get her back
Erinyes (Furies) – Mythopedia The Erinyes (“Furies”) were terrifying sisters who acted as goddesses of vengeance and retribution From their grim home in the Underworld, the Erinyes punished crimes that violated the natural order—especially offenses against family members
Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) – Mythopedia Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces)—collectively known as the Dioscuri—were divine twins from Sparta who took part in many heroic exploits They became gods after their death