Agamemnon

The House of Atreus

The Story in The Odyssey

Agamemnon

The House of Atreus

• 1st Generation– Names

• Pelops

• Hippodameia

• Oinomaos

• Myrtilos: Oinomaos’ charioteer

– Events• The Race

• 2nd Generation– Names

• Atreus

• Aërope

• Thyestes

– Events• The Seduction

• The Ram

• The Feast

The House of Atreus 3rd Generation

– Agamemnon

– Menelaos

– Clytemnestra• Orestes

• Electra

• Iphigeneia

– Ægisthos

• Important Events preceding Agamemnon– The Feast of Thyestes

– The Blood Curse

– The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia at Aulis

– The Trojan War

The Story of Agamemnon in The Odyssey

• Odyssey 1: Zeus Speaks• (Fagles 1.37-56)

• Odyssey 4: Menelaos’ Tale• (Fagles 4.573-604)

• Odyssey 11: Agamemnon in Hades 1• (Fagles 11.437-518)

• Odyssey 24: Agamemnon in Hades 2• (Fagles 24.210-223)

Important Differences

– Ægisthos and 20 hired men kill Agamemnon– The murder occurs in Ægisthos’ house– The lookout was Ægisthos’ man– No mention of:

• Clytemnestra’s motives (i.e. Iphigeneia)

• Clytemnestra raising her own hand against Agamemnon

• Orestes killing his own mother in revenge

The Oresteia

– Agamemnon: Agamemnon’s return and his murder by Clytemnestra

– The Libation Bearers: Orestes’ return years later and his murder of his mother, Clytemnestra, in revenge for his father’s death

– The Eumenides: The divine pursuit of Orestes for murdering his mother, Apollo’s defense of Orestes, Athena’s final judgement of Orestes at Athens.