Clytemnestra

At the funeral, the children of Tyndareus gather around the pyre. Menelaus, now king, ignites the fire with a ceremonial torch. The atmosphere is filled with mixed emotions as the family confronts the loss. Phoebe is tearful yet silent, adhering to the Spartan custom that discourages outward expressions of grief during the burning of a body. Leda stands hardened and distant, lost in her own thoughts and possibly intoxicated. Timandra stands alongside Clytemnestra; both share a history of suffering under their father’s harsh rule. Timandra tells Clytemnestra of the brutal treatment she endured from Tyndareus when he learned of her relationship with Chrysanthe. Clytemnestra reflects on her own pain and inability to forgive Tyndareus for the violence he inflicted upon her family. She also observes her brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, noting the changes in them since their return from Colchis.

Later that night, Clytemnestra secretly visits Cynisca’s home and confronts Cynisca, who helped Agamemnon in his schemes against Clytemnestra years ago. In a tense and dark exchange, Clytemnestra reveals her long-held resentment and desire for revenge. She then kills Cynisca, fulfilling her vengeance even as her isolation and despair deepen. As Clytemnestra leaves the scene of the murder, she reflects on her broken promise to her mother not to seek vengeance. Loneliness and regret consume her, but her need for revenge burns unabated.

As Clytemnestra enters the city, all of the people, including children and enslaved people, show deference to her. Inside the palace, she is warmly greeted by Aileen, a servant whose confidence she has nurtured over the years. Clytemnestra then reunites with her daughters, Chrysothemis and Iphigenia, in the garden. Chrysothemis shows her mother the stones she has found, while Iphigenia demonstrates her dance skills. Clytemnestra then meets with her husband, Agamemnon, to discuss various matters, including a conflict with merchants who refuse to follow her commands due to her gender. Agamemnon, although generally indifferent, supports Clytemnestra’s authority. Their conversation also touches on family matters, with Agamemnon inquiring about Clytemnestra’s visit to Alea and her sister, Timandra.

Seeking to resolve the issue with the merchants, Clytemnestra and her guard, Leon, visit a tavern where the merchants gather. She confronts them about their disrespect toward her leadership. When the leading merchant refuses to take orders from a woman, Clytemnestra challenges him to physical combat, asserting that the strongest should rule. She easily overpowers him, reinforcing her position of power and earning the awe, or perhaps the fear, of the other merchants.

Clytemnestra’s administrative duties in the palace involve listening to and adjudicating the problems of her subjects, which range from personal grievances to land disputes. Her decisions and actions, particularly her past punishment of a nobleman’s son for raping a villager’s daughter, grant her a reputation for justice and a position of influence in the citadel. Clytemnestra also oversees the martial training of her son, Orestes, and other boys as well, teaching them the necessity of mastering the art of combat. However, Agamemnon refuses to allow her to train her daughters as well. One day, Iphigenia and Electra defend themselves against an aggressive boy named Kyros, injuring him. Agamemnon’s reaction reveals his desire that the girls should be punished for defending themselves.

In Clytemnestra’s interactions with her daughters, she always favors Iphigenia over Electra. While she loves all her children, she has a special bond with Iphigenia, but as a result, Electra feels marginalized and less valued by her mother, and this dynamic leads to tension and resentment. Meanwhile, as Clytemnestra reflects on her life choices and her hatred for Agamemnon, she feels torn between her duties as a ruler, her role as a mother, and her personal vendettas.

Clytemnestra often finds herself haunted by memories of her former husband, Tantalus, and their baby. These memories are described as a torment that is likened to a “rat chewing at the skin” (217. One day, Orestes informs Clytemnestra that he witnessed her guard, Leon, kissing Iphigenia. Clytemnestra compassionately asks Iphigenia about her feelings and intentions toward Leon. The conversation shifts when Electra, who has been eavesdropping, asks her mother who they are destined to marry. Clytemnestra responds that they will marry kings, due to their status as princesses of a powerful Greek city.

Clytemnestra then confronts Leon in the armory about his interaction with Iphigenia. Leon shows knowledge of Clytemnestra’s past and expresses empathy toward her silent suffering, but she dismisses his understanding as insufficient. Later, Aileen, Clytemnestra’s servant, confesses that Agamemnon has requested her presence, presumably for sexual purposes. Out of a desire to protect Aileen, Clytemnestra firmly instructs the woman to refuse this request. As a result, a tense confrontation occurs between Clytemnestra and Agamemnon. Agamemnon expresses his desire to be with Aileen, and Clytemnestra responds with a threat, referencing her vengeance-driven murder of Cynisca, a woman from a powerful family. In response, Agamemnon violently grabs Clytemnestra by the neck, but she declares that she would rather die than submit to him.

Clytemnestra and her son Orestes discuss trade in the megaron. An envoy interrupts them with news from the palace of Alea, revealing that Clytemnestra’s sister Timandra has deserted her husband, King Echemus, and is now pregnant with the child of King Phyleus. This news shocks Clytemnestra, who immediately inquires about Timandra’s friend Chrysanthe, only to learn that her whereabouts are unknown. Clytemnestra reflects on the past prophecy from her past that Leda’s daughters would marry twice, and possibly thrice. She shares a version of this prophecy with Orestes, omitting the fact that the prophecy also applies to her.

Clytemnestra’s departs for Sparta, accompanied by her guard, Leon. Before leaving, she has a brief, tense interaction with Agamemnon, who hints at her responsibility to resolve a family feud involving her brothers Castor and Polydeuces, and her sister Helen’s deteriorating relationship with Menelaus. Upon reaching Sparta, Clytemnestra is greeted by a cold, indifferent Menelaus, who informs her of the situation with her brothers and Helen. He tasks Clytemnestra with managing the situation; among other duties, she must host a Trojan prince during Menelaus’s absence.

Clytemnestra meets with Helen at the temple of Artemis, where Helen appears unexpectedly content and dismisses her sister’s concerns about her well-being. Helen reveals that the women her brothers took, Phoebe and Hilaeira, willingly came with them and are now pregnant, complicating the situation further. Inside the palace, Castor confirms the pregnancies of Phoebe and her sister, effectively preventing their return to Messenia.

Clytemnestra observes the decor in the dining hall and prepares for dinner with her brothers, Phoebe, Hilaeira, and Hermione. The arrival of Helen and the Trojan prince, Paris, shifts the atmosphere. Paris’s striking appearance and his story captivate everyone, especially Clytemnestra. Paris shares that he was left to die as a child due to a prophecy but was raised by a herder. As an adult, he returned to Troy, reclaimed his royal status, and has now come to Sparta on a diplomatic mission. During the dinner, Paris and Clytemnestra speak about Troy and Paris’s upbringing. Paris reveals that he was married to a mountain girl before his return to Troy, but she was not brought to the palace. His account of his life and reasons for being in Sparta intrigue Clytemnestra, who is both skeptical and fascinated by his tale.

Helen is fully absorbed with her interactions with Paris, and Clytemnestra, aware of Helen’s unhappy marriage to Menelaus, senses the potential implications of Helen’s amorous behavior. When Clytemnestra visits Leda, the older woman reflects on the circumstances of her marriage to Tyndareus, drawing parallels with Clytemnestra’s situation. Leda admits regretting her prior passivity, acknowledging that she could have done more to protect Clytemnestra. Later, Clytemnestra and Castor observe a ritual for the goddess Artemis and reflect on their own life choices. Castor’s remark about the inevitability of their fates resonates with Clytemnestra, who hints at her determination not to remain bound by her marriage to Agamemnon.

Clytemnestra bonds with her family in Sparta and enjoys walks with Phoebe and Hilaeira, who share stories of their homeland of Messenia. The evenings are filled with gatherings by the hearth, where Paris recounts his life stories and enchants everyone, especially Helen. However, the peaceful atmosphere is disrupted when Lynceus and Idas arrive, seeking to reclaim Phoebe and Hilaeira, who were promised to them but chose to be with Castor and Polydeuces instead. Idas and Lynceus cruelly confront Clytemnestra and her brothers in the megaron. Clytemnestra maintains her composure and informs them that the women are pregnant and thus will not be returned. This revelation angers the princes, and when Clytemnestra threatens them, they leave after promising future conflict.

Later, Clytemnestra and Helen share a private moment in the bathhouse, and Helen confesses that she has slept with Paris. This revelation shocks Clytemnestra, but she advises Helen to keep the relationship a secret. When Clytemnestra speaks with Castor, they share their mutual concerns about the future. Castor assures Clytemnestra of their resilience, but Clytemnestra still has underlying worries about the potential conflicts that Helen’s affair with Paris may cause.

Following her return to Mycenae, Clytemnestra encounters a new seer at the palace, Calchas, who has come from Megara at King Agamemnon’s request. Then, Leon brings devastating news that shatters the tranquility of the palace. Clytemnestra’s brother, Castor, has been murdered by Idas in an ambush. The mood in the palace is further darkened by the revelation that Helen has left Sparta with Prince Paris, heading for Troy. This act of betrayal is a catalyst for war. Agamemnon heatedly confronts Clytemnestra about Helen’s actions, emphasizing the gravity of the situation and the impact of the affair on the Greek alliance.

Preparations for war intensify, with various Greek leaders and their forces pledging allegiance to Agamemnon. The mobilization of such a massive army is unprecedented, and key figures like Achilles, Ajax, and Odysseus become involved. The rallying of Greek forces intensifies, and war with Troy is inevitable. Clytemnestra reflects on her complicated relationship with Agamemnon and her feelings about the war. Agamemnon departs with the Greek forces, leaving Clytemnestra with mixed emotions, including a secret hope that he will meet his death in battle.

An envoy arrives at Mycenae, informing Clytemnestra that Agamemnon wishes for her and her eldest daughter, Iphigenia, to come to Aulis. Agamemnon has planned a marriage between Iphigenia and the great warrior Achilles before the troops sail for Troy. Though initially hesitant, Clytemnestra agrees to go to Aulis, believing this event to mark a significant political alliance.

Upon arriving in Aulis, Clytemnestra and Iphigenia are struck by the stillness of the air and the lack of wind, which hinders the army’s ability to sail. Agamemnon greets them warmly, focusing on the upcoming nuptials. However, a sense of unease permeates the atmosphere, especially when Achilles is noticeably absent from the council of generals. The night before the wedding, Clytemnestra senses something amiss when Agamemnon visits them but abruptly leaves. She dismisses his behavior, choosing to focus on preparing Iphigenia for the wedding. The next morning, Odysseus calls Clytemnestra to his tent under false pretenses and has her bound and restrained. Realizing that she has been betrayed, she manages to free herself by injuring several guards.

Rushing to find her daughter, Clytemnestra arrives at the marketplace and witnesses a crowd engaged in a sacrificial song. Achilles stands motionless and silent as Iphigenia is dragged toward a sacrificial altar, pleading for her father’s intervention. In a desperate attempt to save her daughter, Clytemnestra fights her way through the crowd, but she is ultimately overpowered and subdued. As she loses consciousness, her last thoughts are of her daughter’s fate and the overwhelming sorrow of the situation.