House of Atreus
Atreus
The Avenger
The Rivalry
Atreus and Thyestes were sons of Pelops, locked in a struggle for the throne of Mycenae. When Thyestes seduced Atreus's wife Aerope and stole the golden fleece that was the symbol of kingship, the rivalry became a blood feud.
Atreus reclaimed the throne with the aid of Zeus, who reversed the course of the sun as a sign of divine favor. But Atreus was not content with mere victory.
The Feast of Thyestes
Pretending reconciliation, Atreus invited his brother to a banquet. He had secretly murdered Thyestes' sons, cooked their flesh, and served it to their father. Only after Thyestes had eaten did Atreus reveal the truth, presenting the children's hands and heads.
This is the crime that defines the House of Atreus — a repetition of Tantalus's original sin, escalated to new depths of horror. Thyestes fled in revulsion, cursing his brother's line. He would later father Aegisthus, conceived specifically as an instrument of revenge.
“A house that feeds on its own flesh cannot stand.”— Seneca, Thyestes