Menelaus took her beautiful sister Helen as his bride. Agamemnon later returned to Mycenae, killed his uncle, and reclaimed the throne of his father. He and Clytemnestra eventually had three daughters—Chrysothemis, Electra, and Iphigenia—and a son, Orestes. Meanwhile, Menelaus became king of Sparta after the death of Tyndareos. When Paris returned to Troy, he took Helen with him. At the time of Menelaus's marriage to Helen, all the rulers of the Greek city-states had promised to come to her defense if necessary.
Menelaus reminded them of their promise, and they agreed to go to war against Troy to bring Helen back. Agamemnon was chosen to lead the Greeks in battle. Agamemnon prepared a fleet of ships to carry the Greeks to Troy. As punishment, Artemis caused the winds to die down so that the Greek fleet could not sail. The Mesopotamians regretted the fact that humans could not live forever like the gods.
Their mythical heroes sought eternal life even though the gods showed them that they were doomed to fail. By contrast, one of the basic ideas of Greek mythology is that all humans have a fate that cannot be escaped and limits that they should not try to exceed. The Greeks believed that individuals must face their fate with pride and dignity, gaining as much fame as possible. People—such as Agamemnon—who believed they could change fate by their own actions were guilty of hubris. They would eventually be punished by Nemesis, the vengeance of the gods.
A seer told Agamemnon that he could please Artemis and gain favorable winds by sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia to the goddess. When his daughter arrived, Agamemnon killed her. Although the sacrifice pleased Artemis and allowed the Greek ships to sail, it would later have terrible consequences for Agamemnon. The Trojan War.
The Greeks fought the people of Troy for nine years and seized many of their cities. However, they failed to capture the city of Troy.
This is the point at which the Iliad begins, and Agamemnon's arrogance and pride come into play again. After winning a battle against the Trojans, Agamemnon received a female prisoner named Chryseis as part of his booty.
A great warrior, he sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia in order to obtain a favorable wind to carry the Greek fleet to Troy. During the ten-year conflict, his Queen has plotted his death in order to avenge the killing of their daughter.
He appears on stage only briefly, and behaves arrogantly. He goes to his death unaware of his fate. The play's protagonist, Clytemnestra is Agamemnon's wife and has ruled Argos in his absence. She plans his murder with ruthless determination, and feels no guilt after his death; she is convinced of her own rectitude and of the justice of killing the man who killed her daughter.
She is, a sympathetic character in many respects, but the righteousness of her crime is tainted by her entanglement with Aegisthus. Even so, Aeschylus makes it clear that Agamemnon's death must be avenged.
The elder citizens of Argos, who were too old to fight in the Trojan War. They serve as advisors to Queen Clytemnestra during Agamemnon's absence, and provide commentary on the action of the play.
Their speeches provide the background for the action, for they foreshadow the King's death when they describe the events of the Trojan War and discuss the dangers of human pride. A Trojan priestess, captured by Agamemnon and carried to Argos as his slave and mistress. Updated November 10, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Gill, N. Agamemnon, the Greek King of the Trojan War. Non-Canonical Retelling of the Tale of Troy.
List of Characters in 'The Iliad'. Overview of the Children of Helen of Troy. Greek Tragedy and the House of Atreus. Top Worst Betrayals in Greek Mythology. Your Privacy Rights.
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