Thyestes
First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.4
🌐 Also appears in: Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Thyestes)
Thyestes was one of the sons of Pelops, alongside Atreus and Pittheus. After Sthenelus banished Amphitryon and seized Mycenae and Tiryns, he entrusted Midea to Thyestes and Atreus. Aerope loved Thyestes and had been debauched by him; he also had Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus by a Naiad nymph, Tantalus as a son, and Aegisthus by his daughter.
When the kingdom was disputed, Thyestes claimed it should belong to the man who possessed the golden lamb. Zeus sent Hermes to arrange that Atreus would rule if the sun went backward; when it did, Atreus reclaimed the kingdom and banished Thyestes. Afterward, Atreus lured him with a false offer of reconciliation, murdered Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus, served them to their father, and cast him out. Tyndareus later brought them back, and Thyestes was driven to dwell in Cytheria. When Aegisthus learned that he was Thyestes’ son, he killed Atreus and restored the kingdom to Thyestes.
Relationship record
Life events
- Amphitryon accidentally killed Electryon; Sthenelus banished him and seized Mycenae and Tiryns.(Apollodorus, Library 2.4 · 📍 Argos)
- With: Amphitryon Electryon Sthenelus Atreus
- “However, as he was receiving the cows back, one of them charged, and Amphitryon threw at her the club which he had in his hands. But the club rebounded from the cow's horns and striking Electryon's head killed him. Hence Sthenelus laid hold of this pretext to banish Amphitryon from the whole of Argos, while he himself seized the throne of Mycenae and Tiryns; and he entrusted Midea to Atreus and Thyestes, the sons of Pelops, whom he had sent for.”
- Zeus reversed the sun, allowing Atreus to reclaim the kingdom and banish Thyestes.(Apollodorus, Epitome 2)
- With: Zeus Hermes Atreus
- “But Zeus sent Hermes to Atreus and told him to stipulate with Thyestes that Atreus should be king if the sun should go backward; and when Thyestes agreed, the sun set in the east; hence the deity having plainly attested the usurpation of Thyestes, Atreus got the kingdom and banished Thyestes.”
- Atreus murdered Thyestes’ sons, served them to their father, and expelled him.(Apollodorus, Epitome 2)
- With: Atreus Aglaus Callileon Orchomenus
- “But afterwards being apprized of the adultery, he sent a herald to Thyestes with a proposal of accommodation; and when he had lured Thyestes by a pretence of friendship, he slaughtered the sons, Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus, whom Thyestes had by a Naiad nymph, though they had sat down as suppliants on the altar of Zeus. And having cut them limb from limb and boiled them, he served them up to Thyestes without the extremities; and when Thyestes had eaten heartily of them, he showed him the extremities, and cast him out of the country.”
- Aegisthus killed Atreus and restored the kingdom to Thyestes.(Apollodorus, Epitome 2)
Apollodorus, Library 2.4
- siblings with Atreus “Atreus and Thyestes, the sons of Pelops”
- parent: Pelops “Atreus and Thyestes, the sons of Pelops”
- guardian: Sthenelus “he entrusted Midea to Atreus and Thyestes, the sons of Pelops”
Apollodorus, Epitome 2
- siblings with Pelops (Thyestes was a son of Pelops.) “The sons of Pelops were Pittheus, Atreus, Thyestes, and others.”
- siblings with Pittheus (Pittheus and Thyestes were sons of Pelops.) “The sons of Pelops were Pittheus, Atreus, Thyestes, and others.”
- admirer: Aerope (Aerope loved Thyestes.) “and she loved Thyestes”
- with Aerope (The text describes a sexual relationship between Thyestes and Aerope.) “Aerope gave it to Thyestes, by whom she had been debauched”
- enemies with Atreus (Atreus and Thyestes violently contested the kingdom.) “Atreus got the kingdom and banished Thyestes”
- child: Aglaus (Aglaus was Thyestes's son.) “the sons, Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus, whom Thyestes had by a Naiad nymph”
- child: Callileon (Callileon was Thyestes's son.) “the sons, Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus, whom Thyestes had by a Naiad nymph”
- child: Orchomenus (Orchomenus was Thyestes's son.) “the sons, Aglaus, Callileon, and Orchomenus, whom Thyestes had by a Naiad nymph”
- child: Aegisthus (Thyestes fathered Aegisthus.) “and begot Aegisthus by his daughter”
- child: Tantalus (Thyestes was Tantalus's father.) “Tantalus, the son of Thyestes”
- parent: Pelops “The sons of Pelops were Pittheus, Atreus, Thyestes, and others.”
- courtship with Aerope “and she loved Thyestes.”
- rivals with Atreus “And when a discussion took place concerning the kingdom, Thyestes declared to the multitude that the kingdom ought to belong to him who owned the golden lamb”
- enemies with Tyndareus “Not long afterwards Tyndareus brought them back again, and they drove away Thyestes to dwell in Cytheria”
- child: Tantalus (son of Thyestes) “her spouse Tantalus, the son of Thyestes”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.