Admirers of ancient Greek mythology cannot help but be fascinated by the life of Clytemnestra, a most intriguing figure. Clytemnestra was the famously powerful queen of Mycenae and one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of ancient Greek mythology.
Her extraordinary life story was shaped and defined by love, bitterness, and fateful vengeance, something that has captivated readers around the world for centuries. The life of Clytemnestra as Agamemnon’s wife and Helen of Troy’s half-sister is deeply connected to some of the most significant events and characters in ancient Greek mythology.
Clytemnestra was the daughter of Tyndareus, who was the King of Sparta and Leda. She came from a wealthy family and enjoyed all the luxury available at the time. Her siblings included Helen of Troy, Castor, and Polydeuces (Pollux). This placed Clytemnestra within the pantheon of important figures in Greek mythology. Her upbringing in Sparta included, as was to be expected, training as a warrior and huntress—skills that would later prove to be useful and shape her actions as queen.
The life of Clytemnestra defined her prominent role in Greek mythology
The life of Clytemnestra changed dramatically when she married Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae. This event was both a strategic move in terms of political alliances and a cause of emotional turmoil. The decision of Agamemnon to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in an attempt to appease the goddess Artemis triggered a chain of events that led to his tragic final demise. This act greatly hurt Clytemnestra and turned out to be a defining moment that would provoke her future urge for revenge.
During Agamemnon’s absence from the Trojan War, Clytemnestra took Aegisthus as lover, a move that was highly unethical and risky. Aegisthus had his own vendetta against Agamemnon due to previous family issues, so he found the perfect opportunity to get even with Agamemon.
The illegitimate couple planned to assassinate Agamemnon when he returned from Troy, hoping that they would be free to live their life together thereafter. Clytemnestra’s desire for retribution for Iphigenia’s tragic death, combined with her growing anger against her husband, drove her decision to follow this treacherous path.
Following the triumphant return of Agamemnon from Troy, the fearless king was met with a faint smile by Clytemnestra. In a long calculated move, she covered him in a net or robe while he bathed and brutally murdered him with the help of her lover Aegisthus. This act was not only the culmination of a personal vendetta but also a bold statement on Clytemnestra’s behalf against the patriarchal structures that had wronged her her whole life.
The murder of Agamemnon
According to Greek mythology, Agamemnon died a sad and cruel death upon his return from the Trojan War. His wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus assassinated him in cold blood, motivated by vengeance for things he had done in the past.
Clytemnestra had numerous reasons to detest her husband. Most significantly, before the war, Agamemnon sacrificed his infant daughter Iphigenia to appease the goddess Artemis, allowing the Greek fleet to sail to Troy with favorable winds to fulfill their goal. This tragic act made Clytemnestra hate her husband deeply. Another reason why Clytemnestra hated her husband so much was that Agamemnon returned from the decade-long war with a mistress, the Trojan princess Cassandra. This act was seen by Clytemnestra as a betrayal, which humiliated and enraged her.
Apart from Clytemnestra, however, Aegisthus too had reasons to despise Agamemnon. There was already a blood feud between their two families. The father of Aegesthus, Thyestes, had been betrayed by Agamemnon’s father, Atreus. Aegisthus was actually Agamemnon’s cousin and had spent all his life trying to get revenge on Agamemnon’s family.
As Agamemnon had been absent for so long, Aegisthus and Clytemnestra developed an affair and plotted the murder of Agamemnon together.
According to several versions of this tale of Greek mythology, the murder by Clytemnestra took place in the following way: in Aeschylus’ famous story, when Agamemnon returned home, an apparently friendly Clytemnestra welcomed him and waited until he was vulnerable. When he was in the bath, she covered him in a net or robe and stabbed him to death.
Following this vicious crime, Clytemnestra and Aegisthus ascended to the throne of Mycenae and ruled their land for seven years. In Homer’s earlier version in the Odyssey, Aegisthus set watchmen to look out for Agamemnon’s return, then lured him to a banquet where he and his companions were ambushed and killed.
In either case, Agamemnon was brutally murdered. Cassandra did not manage to survive either. She was killed, as well, by Clytemnestra herself in a fit of jealousy.
Clytemnestra and her influence on art
This truly fascinating story of Clytemnestra of Greek mythology has been immortalized in various ancient texts and has survived to this day. The character of Clytemnestra is prominently featured in the work Oresteia of Aeschylus, where her character is portrayed as both villainous, wounded, and therefore sympathetic.
In this marvelous trilogy of the ancient Greek writer, her murder of Agamemnon sets off a cycle of further incidents of vengeance that ultimately culminate in her own death at the hands of her son Orestes. Her troubled character has also been the focal point in works by Sophocles and Euripides, each of them offering unique interpretations of her motivations and actions.
Because of these events, throughout history, Clytemnestra has been portrayed by writers, artists, and filmmakers as both a vicious murderer and a mistreated woman who was simply seeking revenge for what fate had brought before her. In more modern retellings by authors such as Madeline Miller and Costanza Casati, she is also frequently shown as a multifaceted character who has been trying her best in a world dominated by male dominance. These alternative narratives emphasize her inspiring strength, contradicting conventional beliefs that portray women as weak and obedient.
Therefore, the story of Clytemnestra in the world of Greek mythology is noteworthy both for its dramatic aspects and its deliberate employment of subjects such as justice, authority, and gender.
Her bold and fearless actions defy the expectations of women in ancient Greek society. This boldness in her character transforms her into both a symbol of resistance and a cautionary tale on the dangers of unethical and potentially unrestrained ambition.
Her legacy is therefore relevant in modern-day discourse about female empowerment. By taking on traditionally male roles such as that of an avenger, Clytemnestra challenges the societal norms of ancient Greece and asserts her autonomy in a male-dominated environment.
