By Miss Yao W.

• The Family of Agamemnon is descended the Zeus.

• Agamemnon was the son of Atreus, and the great-grandson of the blasphemous King Tantalus of Lydia.

• His family is also known as the ill-fated “House of Atreus.”

• Each member of the house was cursed.

House of Atreus

The King of Mycenae

• Son of Atreus and the brother of Menelaus. Member of the tragic house of Atreus.

• King of Mycenae, and he was the leader of the Greek coalition during the Trojan war.

• He married Clytemnestra and had several children by her.

• He was murdered in his homecoming by Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus.

• His death was avenged by his son Orestes.

• Odysseus confronted him in the underworld.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Queen of Mycenae• She is the daughter of Tyndareus and

Leda,and the half sister of Helen.

• Her first husband was Tantalus 3, but after Agamemnon killed Tantalus and their child, she was betrothed to Agamemnon.

• She bore several children by Agamemnon, including Iphigenia, Orestes, Electra.

• When Agamemnon was called to the Trojan War, Aegisthus became her lover.

• Together they fashioned the conspiracy to murder King Agamemnon.

• Her son Orestes avenged his father’s death by slaying her and her lover Aegisthus.

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia

• In this illustration, it depicts of the imperial family of Mycenae. Beginning clockwise with the armed soldier--King Agamemnon, then his wife Clytemnestra, his fairest daughter Iphigenia, and his son Orestes.

• Iphigenia is about to be sacrificed at Aulis to Artemis, because of a boast her father.

• Agamemnon displays reluctance, it is hard for a father to kill his own flesh and blood. His obeisant posture and stooped head exhibit this.

• Iphigenia bows down and beseeches to her father, hoping to inspire her father’s unyielding heart. Her loving mother Clytemnestra stands beside Agamemnon, also tries to sway her husband, but met with futile ramification.

• Thus the fair-skinned Iphigenia was murdered by her own father, some sources say that Iphigenia was saved last minute by Artemis and replaced a deer in her place.

• Whatever happened, the sacrifice brought nothing but fatality and discontent to the family. Clytemnestra never forgiven Agamemnon for killing her “sweet flower.”

The PassageIn the Odyssey, Odysseus goes to Hades to consult with the seer Tiresias, but

he also encountered some of his comrades who fought in the Trojan War, of

which included Agamemnon. Odysseus questioned the Mycenaean King of

his death, the answer he got was this:

“…Aegisthus was the cause of my death.

He killed me with the help of my accursed wife

After inviting me to a feast in his house,

Slaughtered me like a bull at a manger.

So I died a most pitiable death,

And all around me my men were killedRelentlessly..’” (Lombardo Translation, Book 11, Line 415-450)

Agamemnon & Clytemnestra’s Role

• The conversation between Agamemnon and Odysseus in Hades, showed Odysseus how one soldier’s homecoming could be and how ten years of war could change his kin.

• Because Agamemnon was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and he never got to see his children. Agamemnon repeatedly ordered Odysseus to be suspicious of his wife Penelope, to land his ship away from the main harbor rather than having a big home welcoming party.

• Agamemnon also warns Odysseus to never to trust no woman, and tell Penelope “some things” but no everything.

• Although Penelope neither solicited any of her suitor, nor contrived against her husband, many other Greek soldiers’ wives did.

The Murder of Agamemnon

• On this ebony Greek vase it depicts the woeful death of the King Agamemnon of Mycenae. Agamemnon is seen murdered callously at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus.

• The man at the very left is Aegisthus, he is holding a sword ready to plunge it into Agamemnon (in the middle), notice that already there is a bloodstain on the Agamemnon's mantle, it could have been enacted by Clytemnestra (woman to the right) or just Aegisthus’ doing. It is anyone’s guess.

• Clytemnestra is holding out her arms perhaps to praise the murder of her husband, or maybe dancing with other females in the background to the burial ceremony of Agamemnon.

• This is a black Greek vase showing the comeback of Agamemnon’heir, Orestes who is returning to regain his throne of the King of Mycenae from Aegisthus, and to slay the murderers of his father as well---his mother Clytemnestra and his uncle Aegisthus.

• Orestes, the armored soldier must have surprised his mother and his uncle, because the left and right of the vase, there are dancers and lyres around maybe it is some kind of religious ceremony. Orestes has his left hand is holding the hair of the culprit Aegisthus, while his right is directing the nib of the sword into Aegisthus’ gut.

• Queen Clytemnestra is holding an ax probably to intimidate her son into surrendering (this is mentioned in Aesthuylus’ play).

Orestes’ Return

Bibliography• Patrick, Richard. All Color Book of Greek Mythology. Hong Kong: Octopus

Book Limited, 1972 (Patrick 23)• Hamilton, Edith. Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York:

Penguin Books USA Inc., 1969. (Hamilton 246-247)• Lombardo, Stanley. Odyssey, Homer. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett

Publishing Company Inc.,2000 (Lombardo 170 Line 415-450)

• Parada,Carlos.“Clytaemnestra.” Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology Link. 13 Jan. 2005 <http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Clytemnestra.html>

• Parada,Carlos.“Agamemnon.” Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology Link. 13 Jan. 2005 <http://homepage.Mac.com/cparada/GML/Agamemnon.html>

• Gibson, Mia. “Clytemnestra.” Encyclopedia Mythica. 3 Mar 1997. Encyclopedia Mythica Online 13 Jan 2005 <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/clytemnestra.html>

• Hunter, James. “Agamemnon.” Encyclopedia Mythica. 3 Mar 1997. Encyclopedia Mythica Online . 13 Jan 2005 <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/Agamemnon.html>

• <http://www/beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/image/klytaimnestra.jpg>• <http://www/beazley.ox.ac.uk/CGPrograms/Dict/image/agamemnonLINC.jpg>