Atreus was a mythical king of Mycenae in ancient Greece. He was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. According to Greek mythology, Atreus’ wife Aerope was seduced by Thyestes, Atreus’ brother.
The Myth of Atreus, Thyestes and Aerope
The myth goes that Thyestes seduced and slept with Aerope to get revenge on Atreus. There are a few different versions of the myth that explain why Thyestes wanted revenge:
- In one version, Atreus and Thyestes were fighting over the throne of Mycenae after the death of their father. Atreus won and banished Thyestes from the kingdom.
- In another, Atreus and Thyestes made a wager over who had the superior lamb in their flocks. Atreus won the wager deceitfully by producing a golden lamb. This angered Thyestes.
- A third version says that Atreus vowed to sacrifice the finest lamb in his flock to the goddess Artemis. However, when a golden lamb appeared in his flock, he kept it for himself instead of sacrificing it. This angered both the goddess and Thyestes.
In all versions, Thyestes decided to get payback by seducing Atreus’ wife Aerope and sleeping with her. This brought great shame to Atreus and his royal household.
Evidence and References to the Myth
There are several ancient textual references that confirm the myth of Thyestes seducing Aerope:
- In Greek tragedies like Agamemnon by Aeschylus and Thyestes by Sophocles, there are mentions of Thyestes corrupting Atreus’ wife and bed.
- The Roman poet Horace explicitly states in one of his works that Thyestes slept with his brother’s wife.
- The myth is also referenced in Hyginus’ Fabulae and the Bibliotheca of Pseudo-Apollodorus.
So there are several reliable ancient sources from Greek and Roman mythology that provide evidence for this myth.
Atreus’ Revenge
After finding out about Thyestes’ adultery with his wife, Atreus seeks revenge. In some accounts, he murders Thyestes’ sons and unknowingly feeds them to Thyestes at a reconciliatory banquet. In other versions, Atreus reclaims his throne from Thyestes and exiles him.
The murder of Thyestes’ sons provides motivation for the eventual murder of Atreus’ son Agamemnon by Aegisthus, who is the son of Thyestes. So the seduction of Aerope sets off a long chain of revenge and violence between the royal families.
Analysis and Interpretation
The myth about Thyestes seducing Atreus’ wife Aerope has been analyzed from various perspectives:
- From a psychological view, it represents rivalry between brothers taken to its extreme through damaging family bonds.
- It has been seen as a lesson about the destructive consequences of revenge.
- Some view it as representing envy and ambition overcoming fraternal love.
- For feminists, Aerope being used as an instrument of revenge represents the silencing and objectification of women in Greek myths.
Whatever the perspective, the myth provides insight into ancient Greek values about honor, family loyalty, revenge, justice and gender roles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ancient Greek mythical tradition clearly attributes the seduction of Atreus’ wife Aerope to his brother Thyestes. This brought dishonor to Atreus and set off a chain of violent reprisals between them. While there are differing versions of the myth, ancient literary sources unanimously agree that Thyestes had an adulterous affair with Aerope to get revenge on Atreus. The myth provides interesting perspectives on the destructive nature of revenge and the dysfunctional family dynamics in Greek mythology.