Clytemnestra

Overview

Clytemnestra is the queen of Mycenae, wife of Agamemnon and mother of Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes. After Agamemnon's return from Troy, she and Aegisthus kill him, leading directly to Orestes' revenge and the final crisis of the House of Atreus.

Generation

Trojan War

Notes

Clytemnestra stands at the centre of the transition from the Trojan War to the final generation of the House of Atreus. She is the wife of Agamemnon and, in the familiar genealogy, the mother of Iphigenia, Electra, Chrysothemis and Orestes.

One of the central causes of her hostility toward Agamemnon is the sacrifice of Iphigenia at Aulis. Agamemnon's decision to offer their daughter so that the Greek fleet can sail for Troy becomes a personal grievance that remains unresolved throughout the war.

During Agamemnon's long absence, Clytemnestra forms a relationship with Aegisthus. Aegisthus is not simply an outsider to the family conflict: he descends from Thyestes and carries the older feud between Thyestes and Atreus into Agamemnon's generation.

When Agamemnon returns from Troy, he brings Cassandra with him as a captive. Cassandra foresees the murder that is about to take place but cannot persuade others to believe her warnings.

Clytemnestra and Aegisthus then kill Agamemnon. Ancient sources differ over the exact circumstances and over which of the two plays the dominant role. In Aeschylus, Clytemnestra is the principal agent of the murder and speaks forcefully in defence of what she has done.

Her reasons are therefore both personal and dynastic. The death of Iphigenia gives her a direct grievance against Agamemnon, while Aegisthus brings the inherited conflict of Atreus and Thyestes back into the household.

The murder of Agamemnon creates the next obligation for revenge. Orestes eventually returns and kills Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. By killing his mother, however, Orestes becomes guilty of matricide and is pursued by the Erinyes.

Clytemnestra's death therefore does not simply resolve Agamemnon's murder. It becomes the act that forces the entire cycle of revenge toward a new form of judgment in the Trial of Orestes.

Ancient tragedy gives Clytemnestra unusual complexity. She can appear as murderer, grieving mother, political ruler and avenger, depending on the source and interpretation. Her role is one reason the House of Atreus remains a story about conflicting duties rather than simple heroes and villains.