AGAMEMNON (king of Mycenae, leader of the Greeks at Troy)
Hero and companion · son of Atreus in Greek mythology
- Known as
- King of men · Son of Atreus
- Parents
- Atreus, Aerope
- Siblings
- Menelaus, Astyoche, Anaxibia
- Consorts
- Clytemnestra, Cassandra, Briseis, Chryseis
- Children
- Orestes, Electra, Iphigenia, Chrysothemis, Pelops, Chryses, Iphianassa, Laodice, Hyperion, Teledamus, Halaesus
- Allies
- Menelaus, Odysseus
- Haunts and cult places
- Argos, Mycenae, Aulis
- In the sources
- 409 ancient passages
Agamemnon is the elder son of Atreus. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 40-82 +49 Agamemnon is the king of the Achaean forces and the Greeks. Euripides, Hecuba 553-584 +13 Agamemnon is a king of men. Euripides, Electra 747-773 +8
Powers
Agamemnon possesses a sceptre given to him by Zeus to uphold righteousness and govern his subjects. Iliad 1 ¶25 +2 Agamemnon holds the supreme power of the sceptre and is considered stronger than Achilles because he commands more people. Iliad 1 ¶25 +1
In the myths
Agamemnon led the Mycenaean forces and a fleet of a thousand ships from Argolis to Troy to wage war, recover Helen, and avenge the violation of her marriage. Euripides, Electra 1-49 +9 Agamemnon led the military expedition against Troy, participating in the war fought for Helen alongside Idomeneus and Meriones. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 782-809 +6 Agamemnon dishonored Achilles by forcibly taking his prize, the girl Briseis, from his tent against advice. Iliad 1 ¶32 +5 Agamemnon was murdered by Aegisthus, who had seduced his wife, while Agamemnon was away from home. Euripides, Electra 747-773 +4 Agamemnon was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra, who trapped him in a robe and struck him on the head, claiming the act was just retribution for her child. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1372-1406 +3 Agamemnon promised seven cities in the Messenian Gulf region, including Methone, to Achilles. Pausanias 4.30.1 +3 Agamemnon sent heralds to demand the return of the girl Briseis from Achilles, threatened to seize the prizes of Ajax or Odysseus if no exchange was made, and threatened to personally take Briseis if Achilles refused to surrender her. Iliad 1 ¶16 +2 Agamemnon was commanded by oracles to sacrifice his daughter to Artemis to release his ships. Euripides, Iphigenia Among the Tauri 1-41 +2 Agamemnon swore an oath before the Argives that he had not slept with or touched Briseis in his tent. Iliad 19 ¶14 +2 Agamemnon destroyed Troy and its surrounding cities using only his original forces without receiving later reinforcements. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 488-537 +2
Fate
Agamemnon was killed by Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus within his own house. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1242-1294 +10 Cassandra predicts her own death by axe and that Agamemnon will be found dead. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1242-1294 +3 Agamemnon is dead and resides in the underworld beneath the earth. Euripides, Electra 112-124 +2 Agamemnon died an ignoble death after returning home, gasping and spitting out spurts of blood. Aeschylus, Agamemnon 1372-1406 +1
