The Cursed House of Atreus

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Illustration

Simeon Netchev
by
published on 01 March 2023
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The Cursed House of Atreus Download Full Size Image

An illustration of the entangled family line of the House of Atreus from Greek mythology, which featured promptly amongst the ancient Greek Tragedies. The cursed House of Atreus is one of the most prominent examples of the concept of miasma (roughly translated as "pollution"), a contagious force with a life of its own - the belief that the crimes of one's ancestors are passed on through the bloodline. In the case of the god-defying Atreides, who trace their origins back to the infamous Tantalus, king of Sipylos, the curse sprang unspeakable crimes and brought additional bad luck and cries for revenge across the generations - brothers killing brother, father murdering son, father sacrificing daughter, son against mother...

The twisted tale of murder, betrayal, mayhem, cannibalism, and, not only once, just silly arrogance is one of the most enduring of all Greek myths. Like so many others, the story of the House of Atreus differs a lot between different sources, and there is not an accepted authoritative version.

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About the Author

Simeon Netchev
Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history teacher passionate about the human stories behind past events. He believes every image should tell a story and spark interaction, while each map leads on a journey, blending imagination with education.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Netchev, S. (2023, March 01). The Cursed House of Atreus. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17134/the-cursed-house-of-atreus/

Chicago Style

Netchev, Simeon. "The Cursed House of Atreus." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified March 01, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17134/the-cursed-house-of-atreus/.

MLA Style

Netchev, Simeon. "The Cursed House of Atreus." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 01 Mar 2023. Web. 21 Dec 2024.

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