AGAMEMNON IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
King Agamemnon in Greek Mythology
Agamemnon was a hero and king of the tales of Greek mythology. Agamemnon is famous for being the leader of the Achaean forces during the Trojan War, but is perhaps equally famous for the manner of his death.
Agamemnon Son of Atreus
Agamemnon is most commonly called a son of Atreus, son of Pelops, by Aerope, daughter of Catreus; and thus, Agamemnon was brother to Menelaus and Anaxibia.
Agamemnon was therefore a member of the House of Atreus, a family line cursed since the time of Atreus’ grandfather, Tantalus. So, some say, that Agamemnon was doomed before he was even born. Agamemnon would grow up in Mycenae, for his father, and uncle, Thyestes, had been exiled there. Thyestes and Atreus had always argued, and when it came to succession to the vacant throne of Mycenae, there was no agreement. Initially, Thyestes took the throne, for he was aided by his lover, Aerope, Atreus’ wife, but then the gods intervened so that Atreus gained the throne. Atreus would kill his wife, Agamemnon’s mother for her betrayal, and would serve up the children of Thyestes as a meal to his brother. Thyestes though would regain the throne of Mycenae when Atreus was killed by Aegisthus. Atreus believed that Aegisthus was his own son, but in fact he was Thyestes’. With Thyestes back on the throne, Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus were sent into exile. |
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Agamemnon in Sparta
Agamemnon, and Menelaus, would find refuge in Sparta, where King Tyndareus was ruler. So enamoured was Tyndareus with Agamemnon, that the king would marry his daughter, Clytemnestra, to the son of Atreus.
Tyndareus would then place a Spartan army at the command of Agamemnon, and at its head, Agamemnon returned to Mycenae, and victorious in battle, Thyestes was forced into exile, and Agamemnon became King of Mycenae. The right of Agamemnon to rule Mycenae seemed to be cemented by the fact that Zeus himself was said to have presented the king with a sceptre.
Subsequently, in Sparta, Tyndareus sought to find a husband for his other “daughter”, Helen (though Helen was actually a daughter of Zeus and Leda). Suitors of Helen gathered from across Greece, although the now married Agamemnon was not one.
Each suitor was then bound by the Oath of Tyndareus to protect the new husband of Helen, the new husband being Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon. Menelaus would then be made heir to the throne of Sparta.
Tyndareus would then place a Spartan army at the command of Agamemnon, and at its head, Agamemnon returned to Mycenae, and victorious in battle, Thyestes was forced into exile, and Agamemnon became King of Mycenae. The right of Agamemnon to rule Mycenae seemed to be cemented by the fact that Zeus himself was said to have presented the king with a sceptre.
Subsequently, in Sparta, Tyndareus sought to find a husband for his other “daughter”, Helen (though Helen was actually a daughter of Zeus and Leda). Suitors of Helen gathered from across Greece, although the now married Agamemnon was not one.
Each suitor was then bound by the Oath of Tyndareus to protect the new husband of Helen, the new husband being Menelaus, brother of Agamemnon. Menelaus would then be made heir to the throne of Sparta.
Agamemnon, Clytemnestra and Mycenae
In Mycenae, Clytemnestra was commonly said to have given birth to four children for Agamemnon; a son, Orestes, and three daughters, normally named as Iphigenia, Electra and Chrysothemis. Some sources substitute Laodice and Iphianassa, instead of Electra and Iphigenia, as daughters of Agamemnon.
A less common story of Agamemnon, tells of Clytemnestra being previously married to a man called Tantalus, a son of Broteas, and that in order to marry Clytemnestra, Agamemnon had killed her husband and new born son, resulting in Clytmenestra’ hatred of her husband.
Under Agamemnon, Mycenae grew, through conquest, and prospered, until it was the dominant polis of the time.
A less common story of Agamemnon, tells of Clytemnestra being previously married to a man called Tantalus, a son of Broteas, and that in order to marry Clytemnestra, Agamemnon had killed her husband and new born son, resulting in Clytmenestra’ hatred of her husband.
Under Agamemnon, Mycenae grew, through conquest, and prospered, until it was the dominant polis of the time.
The Abduction of Helen
As Mycenae prospered, so the downfall of Agamemnon began. Helen, the wife of Menelaus, was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris; Paris having been promised Helen by the goddess Aphrodite, as a result of the Judgement of Paris.
Those who had taken the Oath of Tyndareus were now duty bound to come to Menelaus’ aide, and though, Agamemnon was not one of the Suitors, he had a family bond that resulted in Agamemnon coming to the aide of his brother. |
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Thus, according to Homer’s Catalogue of Ships, brought 100 ships when the Achaean forces gathered at Aulis. Agamemnon’s was the largest contingent of men and ships, and as this was the sign that he was the most powerful of the Greek kings, it was only natural that Agamemnon was made the commander of the Achaean forces.
Agamemnon and the Sacrifice of Iphigenia
The command of Agamemnon did not get off to a good start though, for the thousand Achaean ships at Aulis, could not sail because of ill winds.
Some put the cause of these ill winds at the door of Agamemnon, for these people say that Agamemnon had proclaimed that he had achieved more than Artemis could have done in a recent hunt. Thus, the ill winds were a punishment from the goddess.
Calchas, the seer, then advised Agamemnon that the only way favourable winds could be achieved was if Iphigenia, Agamemnon’s own daughter was sacrificed.
There is a divergence in opinion on Agamemnon’s reaction to this news, on one side, some say that he would have returned home without sacrificing his own daughter, until he was persuaded by Menelaus; or else he willingly agreed to sacrifice Iphigenia, as it was seen as his duty as the commander of the Achaean forces.
The sacrifice of Iphigenia, whether she was killed or not does differ between sources, did cause favourable winds to blow; though, the sacrifice was a major cause of Clytemnestra’s later hatred towards her husband.
Some put the cause of these ill winds at the door of Agamemnon, for these people say that Agamemnon had proclaimed that he had achieved more than Artemis could have done in a recent hunt. Thus, the ill winds were a punishment from the goddess.
Calchas, the seer, then advised Agamemnon that the only way favourable winds could be achieved was if Iphigenia, Agamemnon’s own daughter was sacrificed.
There is a divergence in opinion on Agamemnon’s reaction to this news, on one side, some say that he would have returned home without sacrificing his own daughter, until he was persuaded by Menelaus; or else he willingly agreed to sacrifice Iphigenia, as it was seen as his duty as the commander of the Achaean forces.
The sacrifice of Iphigenia, whether she was killed or not does differ between sources, did cause favourable winds to blow; though, the sacrifice was a major cause of Clytemnestra’s later hatred towards her husband.
Agamemnon at Troy
Agamemnon would prove himself as one of the greatest warriors amongst the Achaean forces, on par with Ajax the Great and Diomedes, and only slightly behind Achilles in standing. It was said that amongst the Achaean forces he was without equal when it came to use of the spear.
During the Trojan War, Agamemnon killed as many as 16 named Trojan defenders, including, Odius, Deicoon, Elatus, Adrestus, Bienor, Oileus, Isus, Antiphus, Peisander, Hippolochus, Iphidamas and Coon. On one single day, Agamemnon was said to have killed hundreds of unnamed defenders of Troy, pushing the defenders back to the walls of Troy.
During the Trojan War, Agamemnon killed as many as 16 named Trojan defenders, including, Odius, Deicoon, Elatus, Adrestus, Bienor, Oileus, Isus, Antiphus, Peisander, Hippolochus, Iphidamas and Coon. On one single day, Agamemnon was said to have killed hundreds of unnamed defenders of Troy, pushing the defenders back to the walls of Troy.
The Divisive Leadership of Agamemnon
Despite his prowess on the battlefield, during the Trojan War, Agamemnon is best remembered for his role in causing division in the Achaean camp.
A plague had descended upon the Achaean camp when Agamemnon has refused to give back one of his war prizes, a woman called Chryseis, the daughter of a priest of Apollo. Eventually, when hundreds of his men had died, Agamemnon finally agreed to return Chryseis to her father. Some say that Chryseis was returned to her father whilst she was pregnant with Agamemnon’s son, a boy who would be called Chryses . To compensate himself, Agamemnon decided to take a war prize from Achilles, Briseis, a woman that Achilles said he loved. This of course angered Achilles, who saw no difference between the actions of Agamemnon, and those of Paris, which had brought about the Trojan War; and as a result, Achilles withdrew from the battlefield. Without Achilles, the war turned against the Achaeans, and Agamemnon was forced to plead with Achilles to return to the battlefield, offering the return of Briseis and additional compensation. Achilles though would refuse to fight, until his friend, Patroclus was killed. Agamemnon and Achilles’ feud would end, and both sought to take responsibility for the argument that had gone before. The return of Achilles though reversed the Achaean’s fortunes, and victory was soon at hand. |
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Agamemnon and the Fall of Troy
Troy would eventually fall, through the subterfuge of the Wooden Horse, although by this time Achilles was dead.
Sacrilege would be committed during the sacking of Troy, most notably by Ajax the Lesser, who perhaps raped Cassandra, even though she clung to a statue of Athena. This should have offered Cassandra sanctuary, but of course did not.
When told of Ajax’s actions, Agamemnon should have put Ajax the Lesser to death, but Ajax himself now sought sanctuary in one of the temples. Fearful of what would happen if Ajax was now killed whilst in sanctuary, Agamemnon now offered up copious sacrifices to the gods to appease them.
The sacrifices by Agamemnon did aide his return home, but most other Achaean leaders were inconvenienced one way or other, on their journeys home.
Sacrilege would be committed during the sacking of Troy, most notably by Ajax the Lesser, who perhaps raped Cassandra, even though she clung to a statue of Athena. This should have offered Cassandra sanctuary, but of course did not.
When told of Ajax’s actions, Agamemnon should have put Ajax the Lesser to death, but Ajax himself now sought sanctuary in one of the temples. Fearful of what would happen if Ajax was now killed whilst in sanctuary, Agamemnon now offered up copious sacrifices to the gods to appease them.
The sacrifices by Agamemnon did aide his return home, but most other Achaean leaders were inconvenienced one way or other, on their journeys home.
The Death of Agamemnon
The journey of Agamemnon home was uneventful, and Agamemnon returned to Mycenae with his new concubine, Cassandra, in tow. Cassandra was said by some to have born two children of Agamemnon, Pelops and Teledamus.
Cassandra warned Agamemnon of the deadly peril that lay ahead, but just as with all her other prophecies, though true, they were not taken heed of. Whilst Agamemnon had been away from his kingdom, his wife, Clytemnestra, had taken herself a lover, Aegisthus, Agamemnon’s cousin, and the man who had killed Atreus. The manner of Agamemnon’s death differs between sources, some say the act was undertaken by Aegisthus, some say by Clytemnestra, and some say by both; with the act undertaken as the returning king made a sacrifice, ate a banquet or took a bath. It was though generally said that Agamemnon was killed by an axe or knife. Upon the death of Agamemnon, Aegisthus would become King of Mycenae. Subsequently, Odysseus observed the soul of Agamemnon in the Underworld, where the former king of Mycenae told his old comrade of his death. It was left though to Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, to avenge his father’s death. |
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Colin Quartermain - Agamemnon - 12th February 2020