Atreus

In Greek mythology, Atreus ( , ; from ἀ-, "no" and τρέω, "tremble", "fearless", ) was a king of Mycenae in the Peloponnese, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, his descendants are known as Atreidai or Atreidae. Atreus and his twin brother Thyestes were exiled by their father for murdering their half-brother Chrysippus in their desire for the throne of Olympia. They took refuge in Mycenae, where they ascended to the throne in the absence of King Eurystheus, who was fighting the Heracleidae. Eurystheus had meant for their stewardship to be temporary, but it became permanent after his death in battle. According to most ancient sources, Atreus was the father of Pleisthenes, but in some lyric poets (Ibycus, Bacchylides) Pleisthenides (son of Pleisthenes) is used as an alternative name for Atreus himself. Atreides Atreides is a patronymic form of Atreus which refers to one of his sons—Agamemnon or Menelaus. The plural form Atreidae or Atreidai refers to both sons collectively. Atreides is commonly used to translate both the singular and plural form to English. The term can also be used for the more distant descendants of Atreus.