Atreus

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A·treus

(ā′tro͞os′, ā′trē-əs)

n. Greek Mythology

A king of Mycenae, brother of Thyestes and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Atreus

(ˈeɪtrɪˌuːs; ˈeɪtrɪəs)

(Classical Myth & Legend) Greek myth a king of Mycenae, son of Pelops, father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, and member of the family known as the Atreids (ˈeɪtrɪɪdz)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

A•tre•us

(ˈeɪ tri əs, ˈeɪ tryus)

n.

a legendary king of Mycenae, the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus.

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Noun

Atreus - (Greek mythology) the king of Mycenae and father of Agamemnon and of Menelaus

Greek mythology - the mythology of the ancient Greeks

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Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another.

It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest.

"Sons of Atreus," he cried, "and all other Achaeans, may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove."

"Son of Atreus," said he, "I deem that we should now turn roving home if we would escape destruction, for we are being cut down by war and pestilence at once.

And Achilles answered, "Most noble son of Atreus, covetous beyond all mankind, how shall the Achaeans find you another prize?

The son of Peleus was furious, and his heart within his shaggy breast was divided whether to draw his sword, push the others aside, and kill the son of Atreus, or to restrain himself and check his anger.

To see the pride of Agamemnon, son of Atreus? Let me tell you--and it shall surely be--he shall pay for this insolence with his life."

But the son of Peleus again began railing at the son of Atreus, for he was still in a rage.

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But warlike Menelaus, the son of Atreus, prevailed against them all together, because he gave the greatest gifts.

19H: Agamemnon and Menelaus likewise according to Hesiod and Aeschylus are regarded as the sons of Pleisthenes, Atreus' son.

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"When, however, we had sacked the city of Priam, and were setting sail in our ships as heaven had dispersed us, then Jove saw fit to vex the Argives on their homeward voyage; for they had not all been either wise or understanding, and hence many came to a bad end through the displeasure of Jove's daughter Minerva, who brought about a quarrel between the two sons of Atreus.

"The sons of Atreus called a meeting which was not as it should be, for it was sunset and the Achaeans were heavy with wine.