Who is ATREUS - The Most Cursed Man in Mythology?

God of War has us all hyped up, but here's one to bring down the mood. Kratos' son in the game was named after one of his Spartan soldiers, but Atreus in mythology is a much, much darker character.

Did you know that he is a descendant of Tantalus, one of the worst (and most punished) people in myth? Well, what Tantalus did, to serve up his son to the Gods on a plate, not only earned him his spot in Tartarus, but also set off a curse which would get progressively more and more damning to his family.

From Tantalus, through the wrongdoings of his son Pelops, through to his grandson Atreus, this curse just kept getting worse, leading to lives lost and depravities committed. But Atreus did nothing but make it worse. Offending several gods, killing his nephews and nieces, and worse, he did much to make the curse of Tantalus, the infamous "Curse of the House of Atreus". It wouldn't be over until his own grandson Orestes was freed from it many years later.

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Sources Used

Ancient Texts:
Aeschylus - The Oresteia (Ὀρέστεια)
Cicero - Tusculan Disputations (Tusculanae Disputationes)
Hygenus - Fabulae
Euripides - Orestes (Ὀρέστης)
Pindar - Olympian Odes (ΙΕΡΩΝΙ ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΙ
ΚΕΛΗΤΙ)
Pseudo-Apollodorus - Bibliotheca (Βιβλιοθήκη)
Robert Graves - 'The Greek Myths' (1955)

Credits
If you see any of your artwork in the video, please let me know so I can give you credit!

Film, TV & Game Clips:
'Braveheart' (1995) | Gibson | 20th Century Fox ©
'God of War Ragnarök' (2022) | Santa Monica Studio ©
'God of War III' (2010) | Santa Monica Studio ©
'God of War' (2005) | Santa Monica Studio ©
'God of War: Ascension' (2013) | Santa Monica Studio ©
'The Legend of Hercules' (2014) | Harlin | Lionsgate ©

Music:
All Music is licensed by Epidemic Sound
https://www.epidemicsound.com/


Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
1:06 The Curse Begins
4:41 Exile & Opportunity
6:53 Brothers become Kings (& Enemies)
11:28 The Massacre
13:14 Truly, the Most Dysfunctional Family
15:12 Will it Ever End?

#Atreus #GreekMythology #AncientHistory #Greece #GodofWar #godofwarragnarok #mythology #antiquityforall #antiquity #Classics