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House of Atreus
The House of Atreus is one of the pivotal mortal families in Greek mythology. Bad behavior and worse luck condemn the family through several generations. They are also connected with the start of the Olympic games, the Trojan Wars, and many of the Greek tragedies.
The House of Atreus in Tragedy
For generations, these god-defying descendants of Tantalus committed unspeakable crimes that cried out for revenge: brother against brother, father against son, father against daughter, son against mother. Perfect fodder for the ancient Athenian writers of tragedy.
Atreus
Glossary entry on the founder of the House of Atreus.
'Children of Tantalus'
A short review of Underwood and Grossack's 'Children of Tantalus,' a story about the ancestors of the Atreides.
Niobe
Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus and the mother of many sons and daughters, but like her father, she failed to give the gods proper respect and paid dearly for it.
Pelops
Pelops was a son of Tantalus who nearly suffered death at his father's hand, but then went on to make a name for himself.
Aegisthus
Aegisthus was Agamemnon's treacherous cousin.
Aerope
Agamemnon was one of the suffering women in the House of Atreus.
Hermes - A Thief, Inventor, and Messenger God
Hermes provided a golden lamb to start a quarrel between Atreus and Thyestes, furthering the problems of the House of Atreus.
Olympics
Mythological origins of the Olympic games are the chariot race Pelops ran to win the hand of Hippodamia.
Oresteia
In these tragedies, Athena places justice in the hands of the court, and puts an end to the curse of the House of Atreus.
Orestes
Orestes was the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon who revenged his father by murdering his mother.
Tantalus
Tantalus was a son of Zeus who violated the rules of the gods and paid for it in the Underworld.