House of Atreus was a bad, ill-fated house.
True
Who is responsible for bringing the curse on the family of Atreus?
Tantalus, the king of lydia
Tantulus is the son of?
Zeus
What did Tantulus do to the gods?
He had his son, Pelops, killed and boiled and tried to serve him to the gods to make the gods cannibals.
Wasn't it a big deal that the gods allowed Tantalus to eat at their table?
yes, other mortals were not allowed to do that.
What happened when the gods figured out what Tantulus had tried to do to them?
The gods sent him to Hades where he was in a pool. Every time he was thirsty and tried to drink, he couldn't reach the water. When he reached for the fruit around him, it was out of his reach.
What happened to Pelops?
He was restored to life. He was given a shoulder of ivory because the goddess Thetis or Demeter had eaten his shoulder.
Did Pelops live a happy life? Who did he marry
Pelops had a happy marriage and successful life. He married Prince Hippodamia.
Princess Hippodamia's father did not want her to get married so what did he do when suitors came to propose marriage?
He challenged them to a horse race. he had fast horses that Ares, the god, had given him. If the man beat her father, he could marry Hippodamia. If not, he died.
How did Pelops win the horse race?
Story was that Hippodamia was in love with Pelops so he bribed her father's charioteer, Myritilus, to take the bolts out of her father's chariot. So Pelops won the race and got to marry Hippodamia.
What happened to Myritilus, the charioteer.
Pelops later killed him.
Name the two children of Tantulus.
Pelops and Niobe
Who was Niobe married to?
Amphion, son of Zeus.
What was Amphion's job? What was his brother's name?
He was a musician. His brother was Zethus
What did Amphion and Zethus do to fortify the city? What was the name of the city?
The city was Thebes. The wanted to build a wall around the city. They had a contest to see who could get the most rocks to build the wall. Zethus much better athlete but Amphion got more rocks because he played the lyre for the rocks and they got up and f
How many children to Niobe and Amphion have?
They had 7 strong sons and 7 beautiful daughters.
How did Niobe offend the gods?
Niobe thought she was better than the gods. He openly defied them. She said Leto, the goddess only had two children and she had 14. Told the people of Thebes to worship her in the temple of Leto.
Leto, the goddess, had two children. Who were they?
Apollo and Artemis
What did Apollo and Artemis do to get back at Niobe?
Apollo and Artemis came to Thebes and shot arrows and killed all of Niobe's children and changed Niobe into a stone that was always wet with her tears.
Pelops, the son of Tantulus, had two sons. What were their names?
Atreus and Thyestes
Thyestes and Arteus got in a huge fight? What were they fighting over?
Thyestes fell in love with Arteus' wife.
What did Arteus do when he found out?
He killed Thyestes' two children, cut them up and feed them to Thyestes.
Atreus was the king. He had two sons named?
Agamemnon and Menelaus
Who was Agamemnon married to?
Clytemnestra
Why was Clytemnestra so mad at Agamemnon?
Because he had killed their daughter during the trojan war.
While Agamemnon was off fighting the Trojan War, what did Clytemnestra do?
She had a boyfriend, Aegisthus, who moved into the palace with her. Everyone is the village knew it.
Aegisthus was the son of?
Thyestes. Remember he was Atreus' brother...the one that feel in love with his wife. So Aegisthus and Agamemnon were cousins.
Agamemnon brought a girl back from the war. She was a gift because the Greeks won the war? Who was she?
Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam...the king of Troy.
Cassandra had a gift. What was it?
She was a prophetess. She could predict the future. When she saw the House of Atreus, she said it was a evil house where the floor is red with blood. She said two more would die that day. And they did.
Who died that day? And who killed them?
Clytemnestra killed her husband, Agamemnon.
Did didn't Clytemnestra feel bad for killing her husband?
She felt like she had punished a murderer....the murderer of her own child.
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra had three children. Name all three children.
Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes.
Where did Electra and Orestes live?
Electra lived at the palace with Clytemnestra and Aegisthus was really mean to her. Orestes had been sent away to a trusted friend.
As he grew older, why did Orestes come back?
To kill his mother for killing his father. He felt badly. He didn't want to kill his mother but he needed to get revenge for his father's murder.
Orestes asked one of the gods to help him to decide want to do. Which god?
Apollo. Apollo said he had to kill his mother and her boyfriend, Aegisthus, to avenge his father's death.
Who came back home with Orestes?
Pylades, his cousin.
Orestes and Pylades meet Electra when they came back and made a plan. What was the plan?
Orestes and Pylades would go to the palace and pretend to be messengers and say that Orestes was dead. Once inside, they would surprise them with an attack.
Who ruined the plan?
One of the slaves told Clytemnestra that they were in the palace.
Did Clytemnestra try to fight?
She asked her slave to bring her a battle ax. But then when she saw Orestes, she asked him to remember that she was his mother...she had held him, breastfed him, etc. She asked him to spare her life.
Orestes asked his cousin, Pylades, what he should do. What did Pylades say?
Pylades said he had to kill her because Apollo, the god, had told him to.
After Orestes killed his mother, what happened to him?
He was haunted by visions of women with long hair like snakes. He wondered in the desert for years.
After years of wandering in the desert, what did Orestes do?
Apollo advised him to go to Athena, the goddess, to plead his case asking her for forgiveness. Orestes went to Athena and asked for forgiveness saying he ws GUILTY.
Had ANYONE in the house of Atreus ever felt guilty for their evil deeds and asked for forgiveness?
No, Orestes was the first one EVER.
Did Athena forgive Orestes.
Yes, she did.
What happened to the curse on the House of Atreus.
The curse ended because of Orestes.