AEROPE IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Aerope was a queen of Mycenae in Greek mythology, and on the face of it her story is very simple, Aerope being the wife of Atreus and mother to Agamemnon, Menelaus and Anaxibia. Unsurprisingly though, her story gets more complex though, as more and more ancient sources are read.
Aerope Princess of Crete
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The story of Aerope starts upon Crete, for Aerope was born a princess of the island being the daughter of King Catreus, by a woman unnamed, and therefore granddaughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae.
Aerope would have two sisters, Clymene and Apemosyne, and a brother, Althaemenes. |
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A prophecy was made that Creteus was destined to die at the hand of his own child, and as a result Althaemenes and Apemosyne went into voluntary exile, whilst Clymene and Aerope were given to the Argonaut Nauplius for him to take them to be sold in a foreign land. Nauplius would keep Clymene to be his own bride, although Aerope was transported by the former Argonaut to Mycenae.
Aerope Wife of Atreus
The differing mythology surrounding Aerope occurs upon her arrival in Mycenae.
The most often told, and simplest version of the story, sees Aerope marry Atreus, after the death of his first wife Cleola. Atreus and his brother Thyestes were in exile in Mycenae, although shortly both would be competing for the throne of Mycenae.
Aerope would give birth to three children for Atreus, Agamemnon, Menelaus and Anaxibia. Though, Aerope would also take herself a lover, Atreus’ brother Thyestes, and perhaps see would give birth to two sons for him as well, Tantalus and Pleisthenes.
Many sources tell of how Aerope married first not Atreus but Pleisthenes (a different Pleisthenes), who was the son of Atreus and Cleola. Aerope would therefore give birth to the three children of Pleisthenes, Agamemnon, Menelaus and Anaxibia.
Pleisthenes would die whilst still a young man though, and following the death of Cleola, Atreus would marry Aerope, and raise his three grandchildren as his own.
The most often told, and simplest version of the story, sees Aerope marry Atreus, after the death of his first wife Cleola. Atreus and his brother Thyestes were in exile in Mycenae, although shortly both would be competing for the throne of Mycenae.
Aerope would give birth to three children for Atreus, Agamemnon, Menelaus and Anaxibia. Though, Aerope would also take herself a lover, Atreus’ brother Thyestes, and perhaps see would give birth to two sons for him as well, Tantalus and Pleisthenes.
Many sources tell of how Aerope married first not Atreus but Pleisthenes (a different Pleisthenes), who was the son of Atreus and Cleola. Aerope would therefore give birth to the three children of Pleisthenes, Agamemnon, Menelaus and Anaxibia.
Pleisthenes would die whilst still a young man though, and following the death of Cleola, Atreus would marry Aerope, and raise his three grandchildren as his own.
The Downfall of Aerope
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The downfall of Aerope came when Atreus and Thyestes were competing for the throne of Mycenae. Atreus made a promise to sacrifice the best lamb from his flock to Artemis, but when he discovered a golden fleeced lamb amongst the flock, Atreus decided that it was too good to be sacrificed, so instead he gave it to Aerope to hide away. Aerope though decided to give the lamb to her lover Thyestes.
Atreus planned to use the golden fleeced lamb as a sign that he should become the next king of Mycenae, and proclaimed that whoever produced the lamb would be king, something that Thyestes readily agreed to, for he was the one to produce the lamb. Thyestes rule was short-lived though, for with the aide of the gods, Atreus usurped his brother when the sun travelled backwards in the sky. |
Thyestes and Aerope - Giovanni Francesco Bezzi (1549-1571) - PD-art-100
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The fact that Thyestes produced the lamb was a sure sign of Aerope’s infidelity and so Atreus plotted revenge upon his wife and brother.
In a fit of madness reminiscent of his grandfather Tantalus, Atreus served up the sons of Thyestes to his brother in a feast. These were possibly the sons born to Aerope.
Aerope herself was thrown to her death from cliffs by her husband.
In a fit of madness reminiscent of his grandfather Tantalus, Atreus served up the sons of Thyestes to his brother in a feast. These were possibly the sons born to Aerope.
Aerope herself was thrown to her death from cliffs by her husband.
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