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The Homeric Chronicles has always felt like a genre mash up to me, blending the grounded weight of historical fiction with the sweeping scale of epic fantasy and the timeless resonance of mythology. The bones of the story come from ancient sources, but the flesh is built through character-driven storytelling, political tension, war, love, and consequence. It moves between battlefield and hearth, between kings and mothers, between prophecy and human choice. In many ways, it sits at the crossroads of myth retelling, historical epic, and multi-character fantasy, creating a world that feels both ancient and immediate at the same time. 
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Seer, Healer, and the First Wife of Paris Listen to the full episode here: Greek Mythology Retold Podcast Welcome back Myrmidons! To another episode of the Wonder Women of Greek mythology. Many of you have expressed your love and compassion for Oenone. She was often associated with Mt. Ida, but as the daughter of the river Cebren, she also belongs to the world of river and spring nymphs. She was the first wife of Paris of Troy and the mother of his only son, Corythus. She plays a pivotal role in Paris’ life, especially at the end—and like so many Greek myths, her story is rather a tragic one. If you’re enjoying this podcast, then please download and subscribe to Greek Mythology Retold on your favorite podcast platform. It does help others find me—and us—as we enjoy exploring the characters behind the Trojan War. If this is your first time joining us, welcome to our world…where we love Greek myths and all Trojan War related stories. I am Janell Rhiannon, the writer and host of this podcast and author of the Homeric Chronicles—an adult Trojan War era retelling series. Let’s get started with Oenone. She might not be one of the first characters that comes to mind for most people when they think of the Trojan War, but her story brings us greater understanding about Paris and how when prophecies were ignored in the ancient Greek mythological world, tragedy always ensued. That’s really a concept we can understand even today, isn't it? We might not use the word “prophecy” or “fate” but we say things like: look for the red flags in relationships or situations, or listen to that inner voice –and then, human nature kicks in and we promptly ignore the red flaggy warnings thinking– we won’t fall into that trap or become “that” person–only to glance in the rearview mirror weeks or months, or heaven forbid, years later and think– yes, I should have paid attention to the red flag waving in my face or listening to that inner voice wisdom. I do see myths as a way of examining human nature, so perhaps that’s why we see so many Greek characters in myth completely ignoring flat-out warnings of prophecies. So we can learn to listen to our internal warning system, our intuition. So, back to Oenone’s character. She not only helps define Paris as a figure in the Trojan War landscape but also serves as a window into the plight of a woman, albeit a supernatural one, in times of war. We know that Oenone is a nymph, but who or what were the nymphs, exactly? Bear with me, because there’s a lot of information about the origin and types of nymphs. But I promise I’m weaving all this back to Oenone. Hesiod’s Theogony fragment 176 tells us the Meliai or Meliades (the first nymphs) sprang from Gaia after the blood of Uranus who had been castrated by Kronos spilled onto her from the heavens. Along with the Meliai, Gaia produced the Furies and the gleaming armored Giants. Rather a beautiful expression of mythical beings as the literal embodiment of earth and heaven entwined. Meliades married the Silver Race of Man who lived on the earth’s surface rather than the air like the Golden Race of Men, because at this phase of Greek Myth world building there were no women. The union between the Meliades and the Silver Race gave rise to the Bronze Race of Man called the third generation of mankind. The Meliades were fiercely and lovingly maternal beings described as nursing their sons on the honey-sap (Greek meli) of the ash and arming them with spears carved from the ash trees (Greek melia), like the Pelian ash spear carried by Achilles, a gift from his father, Peleus. This Bronze race lived only to 100 years old and were defiant as a whole and refused to worship the immortals to Zeus’ liking, eventually leading to their demise in the Great Deluge. This is sad– as it means that nymphs, immortal beings, could reproduce with mortals but were ultimately doomed to seeing their children die. Hesiod’s Theogony 240 catalogs several classifications of nymphs emerging from the Meliai. There were nymphs who presided over bodies of saltwater like the Mediterranean, who are called the Nereides who were daughters of Nereus; the most famous among them being Thetis, Achilles’ mother. The nymphs of fresh water bodies were known as Naiades, which is the kind of nymph that Oenone was. (Hom. Od. xvii. 240; Apollonius. Rhodes. iii. 1219; Theocritus Idylls. v. 17; Orphic. Hymn. 50. 6, Argon. 644.) Many Naiades were believed to have the gift of prophecy and mortals who drank from the springs and rivers they presided over believed they were given prophetic and oracular gifts as well. (Paus. iv. 27. § 2, ix. 3. § 5, 34. § 3; Plut. Aristid. 11; Theocrit. vii. 92) This is certainly true because we read that Oenone had the gift of prophecy and was skilled in the healing arts. From numerous sources, we read that it was the Oreiades watched over the mountains and foothills. (Theocrit. vii. 137; Virg. Aen. i. 168, 500; Paus. v. 5. § 6, ix. 3. § 5, x. 32. § 5; Apollon. Rhod. i. 550, ii. 711; Ov. Her. xx. 221; Virg. Eclog. vi. 56.) What I find intriguing is that the Oreiades were connected with the care of manna ash trees. The manna (meli) or sap of the ash and the honey (meli) from bees were both thought to be ambrosial foods gifted by the gods. Manna ash trees are found in a very limited geographical area encompassing the south-western coasts of Europe through Italy, the Mediterranean islands all the way up the Balkan peninsula to western Turkey, which would include the ancient Troas region. The medicinal property of the ash trees comes from the sap, or meli, which is harvested in its hardened state. The sap is supposed to cure various ailments including constipation. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 154 and Lycophron, Alexandra 61 ff confirm that Oenone was known as a healer and skilled with herbs and natural remedies for illness and poisons, as well as being a seer. Although she was a water-type nymph, she may have learned such healing skills from the Oreiades nymphs residing in the region of Mt. Ida. There is the tradition that Rhea graced Oenone with the gift of foresight and Apollo graced her with the healing arts. But, I think it’s credible to make a connection between Oenone and other nymphs who may have taught her about herbs and healing, or at least added to whatever gifts Apollo granted. The one thing all nymphs have in common regardless of their classification, is that they are generally depicted as beautiful young women. And Paris, who we know first as a judge of beauty, and later as a seducer of Helen, would certainly be drawn to a lovely immortal nymph. Pseudo-Apollodorus, among other ancient sources, confirms the paternal parentage of Oneone as the river Kebron. The Kebron River is a tributary of the Scamander River near the ancient city of Troy. Oenone is said to have been born as the river’s headwaters dashed against the rocks. I envision a graceful and elegant nymph slipping from the tumultuous watery womb of Kebron to climb the slick shore bare of garments, wide eyed and ethereal. This immortal seer and healer, would some day meet and marry the Doom Bringer of Troy. Against her father’s wishes she wed the mortal and would suffer a tragic fate. According to the Book of Poets of Nikandros, a Greek poet of the second century BC and the Trojan History of Kephalon of Gergitha, who was actually Hegesianax of Alexandria, from the 2nd or 3rd century BC, Oenone met Paris when he was tending to his flocks on Mt. Ida. I wrote about Oenone meeting Paris as a young bull herder in Song of Sacrifice in chapter 8, entitled, cattle thieves and the nymph that is set in the foothills of Mt. Ida in 1277 BCE. “Hello! Is someone there?” Beyond the trees, a bull snorted, reminding Paris he must be cautious, if he wanted to eat supper at the end of the day. If he got himself killed there would be no one to tell the tale of how he saved the herd. He shrugged the laughter off as his imagination. “Who are you?” a melodious voice questioned as if swirling all around him. Paris turned quickly, catching sight of a woman, a kind of woman he’d never seen before. She seemed a creature of unparalleled grace and enchanting beauty, far surpassing any woman he’d ever seen. More enchanting than his mother, Lexias, who looked like a mother, rounded, sturdy and heavy bosomed. This woman, if she was indeed a woman, exuded an otherworldly allure that captivated Paris. Her hair, long and flowing like cascading water, shimmered in an ever-changing palette of dark and shadowy hues. Her eyes, large and almond-shaped, mesmerized the young bull herder with their blue-green sheen, reminding him of the tranquil depths of secluded forest ponds. They drew him to study her more closely. Her skin was as pale as the morning light, a soft and radiant covering that glowed with an inner luminance. “Who are you?” Paris pulled his bow from his shoulder, uncertain if the gods were playing a trick on him for killing the thieves. Perhaps, intending to draw him to some heinous punishment. The creature held up her hand, “I am not here to harm you.” The tranquility of her voice made Paris lower his bow. Her delicate hand moved with a fluidity that mirrored the gentle ripples of a serene lake. She stepped closer with the gracefulness of a swan gliding on water. “Stop. Come no closer. You have yet to answer my question.” “I am called Oenone,” she said, her voice was melodious, sweet and haunting like a song that lulls a fussy babe to blissful sleep. There was a strange cadence to her speech like a babbling brook, quick and smooth. “Oenone,” Paris repeated. “What is your name,” Oenone asked, her response carrying an echo of delicate chimes in the wind. “Paris and why do you sound like…like that?” “Like what?” she asked mirthfully. Oenone's quiet laughter was contagious. Paris found himself smiling at her. He lowered his bow completely and sheathed his arrow. “What are you? Why are you smiling at me?” “No need to bother with your bow, Paris. I saw you kill the cattle thieves, but your bow is no match for me.” Paris relaxed his stance, but kept his eyes on her. “You surprised me. You make no noise when you walk.” “I should hope not. Nymphs require absolute stealth to keep watch on their trees and streams.” “These are my father’s lands.” Paris narrowed his eyes. “You’re a nymph? A wood nymph or a water nymph.” “Wood.” “Where did you come from?” he asked. “Where the River Cebron washes over the foothills of the sacred mountain. I sprang to life where the cascading falls make love to the rocks.” “You’re immortal, then?” “Such questions. Do you not have cattle to tend?” Paris eyed her, undeterred. “Are you or aren’t you?” “Yes, I’m immortal.” Oenone smiled, revealing pearly white teeth. “We nymphs know many things. But, why are you named Paris? After a backpack?” “Because I was carried from these mountains by my father in a backpack.” “Paris is as good a name as any other,” Oenone said. “When you say my name it sounds pleasant. Not like my elder brothers who make it sound like a curse.” “That’s unfortunate.” Oenone shed a single tear on his behalf, catching it on the tip of her delicate finger. It crystallized into a sparkling gem. “Take this, young Paris, to remember me.” Paris suspiciously eyed the unusual token, while he contemplated what his brothers might say or do to him if he showed them the gift. “Are you going to take it or not, Paris?” Oenone asked. He took the offering and put it in his satchel. “Yes. This will prove I met a nymph. No one believes me when I tell them my stories.” Oenone kissed the top of his head. “Off with you then. Cattle to mind and stories to tell, I suppose.” Paris asked, “Will I see you again?” “I have no doubt, young Paris. Hero of the fields. Defender of man and beast.” Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 154 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) among other mythographers of his time agree that Paris eventually took Oenone to wife and away from her father. They made a home in the foothills of Mt. Ida which is where he tended his herds. Any relationship between an immortal and a mortal is going to be complicated to say the least. He takes Oenone away from her routine and the comforts of how she had been living up to this time. And, as with all Greek myths love and happiness can’t last too long. Prior to all this cozy bliss, the 3 goddesses-Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera forced Paris to judge who among them was the most fair. When Aphrodite won she promised Paris the most beautiful woman in the world. If you follow my earlier podcasts on the timeline of all these events, you’ll see that Helen was quite born yet. Check out episodes 1-3 for a deep dive into the development of the timeline. Here’s where things get interesting. From the Book of Poets of Nikandros (Nicander) [Greek poet C2nd B.C.] and the Trojan History of Kephalon (Cephalon) of Gergitha. We read that Paris professed his love for Oenone quite frequently, always swearing he would never abandon her. Sounds like love bombing or an over compensation for underlying guilt. I see this as evidence that perhaps he already knows the most beautiful woman in the world is coming his way at some point. He just doesn’t know when and is perhaps hoping Aphrodite will forget or change her mind. For the present and immediate future, he does love Oenone. He just has no idea when or how the goddess might compel him to leave the nymph he genuinely loves. This is also a common theme in Greek mythology: a character thinking they can out-smart or flat out deny the will of the gods. We know that eventually he’s going to have to face the fact that he will do whatever Aphrodite wants him to do. Oenone’s gift of prophesy was both a gift and a curse. Which makes me think that maybe we only like the “idea” of knowing the future when it’s a benefit like – you’re going to win a million dollars, or you’re getting the house you always wanted. Mostly, when we get bad predictions of bad news there’s the knee jerk reaction to get upset and deny it. Anyway, Oenone saw the bleak future for her and Paris, so she met his enthusiasm with skepticism and a healthy dose of realism. She actually told him point blank that he would leave her someday for a foreign woman from the east and by doing so he would bring the doom of his family and city. Of course, Paris definitely doesn’t want that so he denies even more vehemently. Oenone told Paris that when a future war (which of course was the Trojan War) happened that he’d be wounded and he should seek her healing care because only she had the power to save him. If Paris had already encountered the goddesses and had this long hang time until he had to deal with whatever came, he could afford a bit of denial. Okay, a lot of denial. That’s human nature, isn’t it? Deny a painful truth until you’re pushed to the brink and forced to accept it. Of course, Paris ignored her warning and was said to be offended. Just really sounds like guilt, doesn’t it? In time, of course, Oenone would be proven right. Because we all know that Helen of Sparta would make her grand entrance onto the Trojan stage. But until that time, Paris and Oenone lived rather peacefully and happily. They even had a son named Corythus. With the birth of a child both their lives were now entwined in a forever kind of knot. A marriage. Because Oenone was an immortal she would face the same fate as Thetis– knowing that someday her mortal children would die and she would mourn them forever. I can only imagine– if Thetis’ example bears any similarity– that Oenone spent as much time with Corythus as possible. She likely taught him about the natural world they lived in. And, at least in the beginning, Paris would have been present. It wouldn’t be until years later that Oenone would send Paris to Troy to live with Paris. Somewhere in this marital bliss, Paris discovered his actual identity as the Forgotten Prince of Troy. And after this revelation, he began the process of getting to know his real parents Queen Hecuba and King Priam of Troy. With his new family comes exposure to a world he has only ever seen at a distance. He is thrust into the world of Trojan royalty. Fine clothes. Gold. Gems. A luxurious palace. We can’t be sure how exactly he transitions to living full time in Troy, but we know he’s been there long enough for Priam to entrust with a personal quest to speak to Hesione. We can assume that Paris split his time between his first wife and son and his new found family. We don’t read anywhere that Oenone was welcomed into Troy. Once Paris is dispatched by Priam as an envoy to speak with Hesione, Oenone knew that what she had foreseen was coming to pass. In the Love Romances by Parthenius,4 (trans. Gaselee) (Greek poet C1st B.C.) : we read that after Paris returned with Helen, Oenone went back to live with her father– or the river that bore his name and the surrounding area. After the deaths of Hector and Achilles, the Greeks and Trojans were still fighting with the skirmishes swinging wildly in favor of one side then the other as the gods intervened. Since this episode isn’t about Paris, but Oenone, I’ll cut to the chase. Paris gets wounded by the poisoned arrow of Philoktetes and remembers what Oenone had spoken of years ago. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 154 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) tells us Paris sought out Oenone on Mt. Ida, but she was still heartbroken by his abandonment and disgusted by what he’d done to Corythus because of Helen that she refused to heal him. Parthenius, Love Romances 4 (trans. Gaselee) (Greek poet C1st B.C.) says that Paris sent a messenger and she sent back a bitter reply that perhaps Helen could heal him. Either way, Oenone initially refuses to use her skills to save Paris’s life. After her initial refusal she has a change of heart and goes to Troy to save Paris. But, she arrives too late. He has already died. There’s a bit of a divergence in what happened to Oenone. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 154 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) Says that she hanged herself after she found he had died. Parthenius, Love Romances 4 (trans. Gaselee) (Greek poet C1st B.C.) : says only that she ended her own life. Lycophron, Alexandra 61 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) : recorded that she threw herself off the ramparts presumably to her death. Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 10. 411 ff : gives yet another version of Oenone’s suicide. That she threw herself into the pyre flames and died clasping Paris in her arms. All we can say then is that the myths--no matter how they diverge come back together with some version of Oenone’s death. It’s such an unsatisfying end to a character who seemed rather pure in motive and intention even naive compared to Paris’s. But, perhaps that’s exactly what Oenone’s story is to represent. She is the long suffering, patient wife– the same light that Penelope and Andromache are bathed in. These three were juxtaposed with the morally tainted Helen and Clytemnestra. It’s through conversation and time that we can find the gray area in between. For me, I see that the myths are heavily invested in the gods’ wills being the reason behind everything good and bad. Did Paris really have a choice? Did Oenone have to go with Paris from the beginning when she knew that he would eventually leave her? Why did Paris think that Oenone would care about him after everything he did or allowed to happen. Maybe ancient love affairs are not so different from modern ones. We all have that one person we think about when we know we shouldn’t. We all have at least one friend who took an ex back and regretted it. Love is afterall…complicated. It can be beautiful and uplifting. But, it can also be messy. Bittersweet. Tragic. Oenone’s life in the background of the Trojan War landscape has captivated artists for thousands of years. OVID was a Latin poet who flourished in Rome in the late C1st B.C. and early C1st A.D., during the reign of the Emperor Augustus. His works include the Heroides, a collection of poems in the form of letters from heroines to their lovers. He wrote a fictional letter from Oenone to Paris. I did include this little historical gem in my Greek myth series’ third book, Rage of Queens. The Getty Museum houses a set of wooden panels painted in 1460 by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, which ironically adorned an Italian wedding chest, which were often decorated with mythological themes and characters. I find this piece ironic because the love story of Oenone and Paris is tragic and sad. The panels illustrate Paris gifting the golden apple to Aphrodite, a transaction known as the Judgement of Paris. Another panel shows Oenone carrying a bow alluding to Paris’ future fatal wound, and on another panel we see Oenone begging Paris not to leave her, as he rides off, ironically, on a white horse. Harriet Hosmer, an American sculptress (1854-1855), carved a life-sized sorrowful Oenone now housed at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University. I suggest that you look this piece up online. It somehow captures the broken spirit of Oenone in stone. There is a bittersweet lining to her story– however tragic it ended. She has been immortalized in time, along with other relatively silent heroines associated with the Trojan War. If you enjoyed this podcast, please like and subscribe. I’ve enjoyed sharing what I’ve researched about Oenone. My readers tell me she’s one of their favorite characters in my Homeric Chronicles series, which is a Trojan War retelling for adults. You can pick that up at Amazon in eBook or paperback if you’re feeling like a nice read. Well, that’s about all for now. Drink your wine and be merry Myrmidons! Prefer to listen instead of read? Listen to this episode of Greek Mythology Retold here. Works Cited Apollodorus. The Library. Translated by James George Frazer, Harvard UP, 1921. Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The Story of Oenone and Paris. 1460s, tempera on panel. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Hesiod. Theogony. Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Harvard UP, 1914. Hosmer, Harriet. Oenone. 1854–55, marble. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis. Lycophron. Alexandra. Translated by A. W. Mair, Harvard UP, 1921. Minter, Erin Sutherland. “Harriet Hosmer, Oenone, 1854–55.” Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, June 2008. Ovid. Heroides. Translated by Grant Showerman, revised by G. P. Goold, Harvard UP, 1977. Parthenius of Nicaea. Love Romances. Translated by Stephen Gaselee, Harvard UP, 1916. Pausanias. Description of Greece. Translated by W. H. S. Jones, Harvard UP, 1918. Plutarch. Aristides. In Plutarch’s Lives, translated by Bernadotte Perrin, Harvard UP, 1914. Quintus Smyrnaeus. The Fall of Troy. Translated by A. S. Way, William Heinemann, 1913. Theocritus. Idylls. Translated by J. M. Edmonds, Harvard UP, 1912. Virgil. Aeneid. Translated by H. Rushton Fairclough, Harvard UP, 1916. Prefer to listen instead of read? Listen to this episode of Greek Mythology Retold here Copyright © 2026 Janell Rhiannon. All rights reserved. This transcript and accompanying research are original content created by Janell Rhiannon for the Greek Mythology Retold podcast. No portion of this work may be reproduced, redistributed, or reposted without written permission, except for brief quotations used in reviews, academic citation, or educational commentary with proper attribution. When I started writing The Homeric Chronicles, I never set out to rewrite Greek mythology through a modern filter. I wanted to live inside it—to walk with these characters, to feel the salt air of Troy and the ash of their choices. Over time, I realized what I was really doing wasn’t feminist or revisionist. It was something older, deeper. It was matriarchist. To me, being a matriarchist storyteller means restoring balance to stories that have tilted too long in one direction, or the other. It means holding compassion for both the men and the women who shaped this ancient world we love—the warriors and the weavers, the kings and the queens. It’s understanding that everyone walks through fire and that almost no one has to stay in the dark forever. When we 1977–1980s kids watched Luke discover that Darth Vader was his father—and later learned that Vader had once been a boy who loved the stars and flying—we were beyond shocked and heartbroken. What would those kids have given to stop Anakin from turning to the dark side? To let him raise Luke and Leia with Padmé and live happily ever after? In a world where men and women seek, strive, and weep—where we all want love, forgiveness, and redemption—we need our old stories to remind us that it isn’t always hopeless. That we can rise, no matter our circumstances, and become better versions of ourselves—for our families, our friends, and for the ones we love. I love these characters fiercely. I really do. I take them through the fire, yes—but I also bring them back into light, redemption, and humanity (most of them). The White Island is the culmination of that journey: a story about legacy, forgiveness, and what remains after the war is over. As I prepare to release The White Island and its paperback edition by Christmas, I feel like I’m finally naming what I’ve been all along—a matriarchist reteller of myth. Not rewriting history, but remembering it in full. The Homeric Chronicles has always been about balance, consequence, and love that outlasts empires. And now, I’m thrilled to share that vision more clearly than ever. Copyright © 2025 Janell Rhiannon. All rights reserved. Clytemnestra, Queen of Mycenae Hear the full episode on Greek Mythology Retold Podcast. Welcome back Myrmidons to Greek Mythology Retold and the Homeric Chronicles. The first 3 episodes were dedicated to establishing the narrative timeline and the next several episodes are grouped together as the: Wonder Women of Greek Mythology. Let’s begin with Clytemnestra. She’s one of the strongest mortal females in the Trojan War narrative. Although she’s a classic tragic heroine, her fatal flaw is one any mother—I’ll bet any father as well—can personally relate to. Her mythological story arc is a long and painful one, punctuated by brief moments of joy she finds in renewed love and the birth of her last child. Also, her inability to grasp how her focus on avenging her daughter’s death stole the joy of the life in front of her is also a uniquely human and relatable experience. Who hasn’t struggled with balancing the past, present and future? As a woman writer of Greek mythology, I find her one of the most intriguing characters to research and write. She’s probably one of my favorites, if not THE favorite. In my episodes 1 and 2, I debunked the 4 egg, simultaneous “hatchings” of Clytemnestra, Helen, Caster and Pollux for a variety of reasons…mostly narrative structures that make sense for humans, and how these characters in particular relate to other, stronger story lines of other major characters. It’s a lot to balance, for sure, but not impossible. In the Homeric Chronicles, Clytemnestra is the elder sister of Helen by a generation. She’s an established widow and a twice married woman by the time Helen is born. I’ll cover all the details of Helen’s conception and birth in a later episode of this Wonder Women of Greek Myth section called: Two Wronged Queens. After Clytemnestra is born, she’s the first princess of Sparta. No doubt Queen Leda had affection for her daughter, but she was already emotionally scarred by Zeus so it makes sense Leda would be one of two ways with Clytemnestra: distant and self-protective or suffocating and over-protective. Both natural reactions to her trauma of being raped by Zeus. What I had to do in the Homeric Chronicles was make a choice for the narrative and HOW that would then shape Clytemnestra’s relationship with her and Clytemnestra’s development as a woman. Knowing what trials Clytemnestra endures, I chose the colder, distant Leda who would then foreshadow what her eldest daughter would become. Unfortunately for Clytemnestra, she (and Helen) is doubly cursed. The first curse comes from within Clytemnestra’s own family. Hesiod informs us in Fragment 67 of the Catalogue of Women that Tyndareus, Clytemnestra and Helen’s father, offended Aphrodite because “while sacrificing to the gods Tyndareus forgot Aphrodite” making the goddess “angry and [so] made his daughters twice and thrice wed and deserters of their husbands.” And Hesiod also says: (ll. 1-7) "And laughter-loving Aphrodite felt jealous when she looked on them and cast them into evil report…and even so Clytemnestra deserted god-like Agamemnon and lay with Aegisthus and chose a worse mate; and even so Helen dishonored the couch of golden-haired Menelaus." What are the implications of Aphrodite’s curse for Clytemnestra and Helen? Basically, they’re doomed to be unvirtuous women, it’s the ancient world’s version of “slut-shaming” the sister’s for something THEIR father did wrong. Maybe it’s because of the first curse that they were destined to be married into the bad luck club of House Atreus, adding the second layer of misfortune. A string of heinous actions, including patricide, infanticide, cannibalism, incest, and adultery can be traced back to Agamemnon’s and Menelaus’ grandfather, Tantalus #1. Tantalus #1 was a crazy sociopath who boiled up his son for dinner and served him to the gods. This was an unforgivable act resulting in him being sent to Tartarus—the dark hole of never-never land-- forever. And the bad luck trickled down through the bloodline of House Atreus to Agamemnon and Menelaus. So, what happened to Clytemnestra happens because of the sins of the men who had societal control of her life. Not unusual in a patriarchal society. Clytemnestra isn’t immune from the curse plaguing House Atreus for several generations. House Atreus is teeming with its share of heinousness, including patricide, infanticide, cannibalism, incest, and adultery traceable all the way back to her great-grandfather Tantalus #1, father to both Thyestes and Atreus. (To avoid confusion at this point, there are 2 or possibly 3 related characters named Tantalus in this story line). Tantalus #1 was a socio-path or just plain crazy because he served his son, Pelops, to the gods for dinner, a particularly unforgivable crime for which he was eternally damned. This is what started the cloud of doom trailing his descendants, including Clytemnestra once she marries Agamemnon. It doesn’t seem that Clytemnestra received any more privileges as a princess than we’d expect women to have in the ancient world. She’s given to her first husband, Tantalus #2, when she was a virgin, so it’s likely she was a bride at 16 or 17. She became a Princess of Mycenae by marriage to Tantalus #2, because his father, Thyestes was King of Mycenae. (OKAY, NOW I have to diverge a bit about all the Tantalus-es because the mythology on Tantalus #2 and #3 is kind of murky. According to Apollodorus and Pausanias, Tantalus #2 was a Prince of Pisa OR the son of Thyestes, and Tantalus #3 is the son of Thyestes. I made a decision in the Homeric Chronicles to merge Tantalus #2 and #3 in to a single character, and I’m going with that the whole way through. What makes for good page turning is that we keep the cannibalism in there. Back on track now… So, after she’s married to Tantalus, they have a child. Not long after that, Agamemnon in cahoots with Tyndareus, Clytemnestra’s father, attacks Mycenae brutally killing Clytemnestra’s first husband and child. This level a trauma scars Clytemnestra’s psyche, planting the seeds of future blood and vengeance. But, when her father forces her to marry Agamemnon those seeds get pushed deeper into fertile soil. In the Homeric Chronicles you’ll watch as she develops a strong core of hate born of grief. She becomes the cold and distant mother Leda was, much for the same reason: being traumatized by the men in their lives. When you experience that kind of pain, it’s natural to distance yourself as a protection against more hurt—even if that means pushing away emotions and people you love, because, well, if something should happen to them, you’d experience more pain. It’s a vicious cycle. Clytemnestra’s marriage to Agamemnon cements the Queen of Mycenae’s complicated foundation. In the Homeric Chronicles chapter 21, there’s a pivotal scene between Leda and her daughter on how to have a measure of power: ________________ “You would have me continue as if he’s done nothing? Even Thyestes received greater mercy than I am expected to endure. Agamemnon killed my husband. My son. Your grandson. Does this mean nothing to you?” Leda took her daughter roughly by the shoulders, shaking her words into the young woman between clenched teeth. “You stupid girl! Have you not learned already? Do you think men the only creatures who go to war? The only ones who gird themselves in armor? You think there’s more bravery in hacking a man in two than the plight of women, who pass by the horror, slipping on the blood and shit of strangers to find their men? Bring them home. Stitch their gaping holes, praying to the gods for their healing all the while knowing death drags them to the Underworld? Every step you take, every word you utter is a strategy in a war for control of your world. Agamemnon has won the first battle.” Tears slid down her daughter’s cheek, and Leda gentled her tone. “Gird yourself, my darling, with your words, your plans. Don’t let him win the war.” The princess wiped the tears from her eyes and stiffened her jaw. “I will rule my world.” “Now, you sound the true Spartan princess.” ______________ Women didn’t have the freedom to choose their own path; who they were-- was defined for them by the men in their lives, first their father and then their husband. Clytemnestra has no choice but to marry the man her father tells her she must, even if he’s the murderer of her first husband. Her life had value only because it legitimized Agamemnon’s claim to the Mycenaean throne. After the marriage, years of calm followed. As did two more children, Orestes and Elektra. Peace held in Mycenae until the day, a Trojan prince absconded with her younger sister, Helen of Sparta—her sister and her husband’s brother’s wife. It’s an affront the “boys of House Atreus” can’t let go. They organize an expedition against Troy. Up to the call to the Second Trojan War, life was fairly calm for Clytemnestra as she worked within her position as Queen of Mycenae and mother of three royal heirs to gain control of her world. She balances her buried grief for the deaths of Tanatlus#2 and her child with the life imposed on her by her father. She uses her feminine wiles to keep Agamemnon and the household loyal to her. But, as Sigmund Freud said: “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They’re buried alive and will come forth in uglier ways.” This couldn’t be more true for Clytemnestra…it wasn’t just because of Iphigenia that she wanted to kill that Agamemnon—it was really for ALL of it—for her late husband, for her child, for Iphigenia, and for being forced to marry him in the first place. She probably thought about putting a knife to her father’s throat more than once. Her desire for vengeance, and perhaps righteously so, is practically a lifelong development. Agamemnon murders their daughter, Iphigenia, at Aulis to get the winds to blow the fleet across the Aegean. This is the second child murdered by the same man, and you can’t help but wonder how that raked up Clytemnestra’s past grief. She mourns Iphigenia alone back in Mycenae, where the coldness of her personality grows colder. This is her fatal flaw as a tragic heroine. She has two children, Elektra and Orestes, both by Agamemnon, who she pushes away because her need for revenge called louder than her heart’s need for love. Perhaps, she feels that she doesn’t deserve love in any form. Another very human aspect of her story line. Who hasn’t struggled with their sense of self-worthiness in the realm of love. In the Homeric Chronicles I write about her complex relationship with Aegisthus passionate and cold in keeping with her character. He says to her, "You're heart is iron." To which she replies, "My heart is ash." In the end she gets the satisfaction of revenge realizing too late the cost of that desire. The loss of her children’s love. Clytemnestra is all at once a tragic figure of a mother’s love gone wrong, a wife’s loyalty broken, and a lover’s inability to truly commit. The curse of House Atreus consumed Clytemnestra along with the rest of Tantalus’ bloodline. Works Cited Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard, Oxford UP, 2008. Freud, Sigmund. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Edited by James Strachey, Hogarth Press, 1953–1974. Hesiod. Catalogue of Women. Translated by Glenn W. Most, Harvard UP, 2007. Hesiod. Theogony. Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Harvard UP, 1914. Pausanias. Description of Greece. Translated by W. H. S. Jones, Harvard UP, 1918. Prefer listening? Hear the full episode on Greek Mythology Retold Podcast. Copyright © 2026 Janell Rhiannon. All rights reserved. This transcript and accompanying research are original content created by Janell Rhiannon for the Greek Mythology Retold podcast. No portion of this work may be reproduced without written permission except for brief quotations with proper attribution. Get started on the journey with 1 click. |
Listen to the full episode at Greek Mythology Retold Podcast
Hello fellow myth lovers! I’m so excited to share with you the Greek world of the Homeric Chronicles. If you watched the movie Troy and loved it, or felt like you wanted more...If you’re currently watching the BBC One Troy: Fall of a City (or waiting for it to hit your Netflix playlist), this podcast is for you. You’re a Myrmidon. Basically, if you love Greek mythology in any form you’ve come to the right place. Shall we get started?
When I first began toying with the idea it was...what if you could read about all the mythological stories as one seamless tale? I thought, what if George RR Martin was telling it? It would be EPIC! CRAZY HUGE! Can you imagine the cast of characters? It’d be a celebrity Who’s Who of the ancient myth-historic Greek world. And because I love these stories, I got to thinking...what if I wrote it? No way, I can’t do that. Then, I thought, you have a degree in history, why not try? And the Homeric Chronicles was born.
That left me with the million dollar question: Where to start? How to begin? After piles of research, 25 gray hairs carefully dyed dark brown, and a bazillion cups of coffee later, I realized exactly where I needed to start: with Homer. But not just some retelling that was meant to get you to the “great war” or to take you through the bizarre journeys of Odysseus back to Ithaka...It needed to be MORE. Much more! But, Homer’s work in the Iliad and Odyssey definitely provide the backbone. I wove many other stories that touched on the characters in Homer’s work into the structure of the spine. The major heroes and heroines of Homer’s tales are entwined with so many other characters I had to dig deep, b/c it’s chronological, I had to make some hard choices. The original myth-makers weren’t worried about telling stories that made chronological sense outside of the story they were reciting. But for the Homeric Chronicles to be what I envisioned that’s exactly what I had to do.
I wanted to include the regulars: Achilles, Paris, Hektor, Odysseus, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Helen, Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache, Leda, Deidamia, Priam, Tyndareus, Peleus, Thetis, and Chiron just to name a few. And include characters like Palamedes, the poor guy who unfortunately pissed off Odysseus, Tantalus the first husband of Clytemnestra, Oenone Paris’s first wife, Peisidike the Methymnaan princess in love with Achilles, well, you get the picture. Now, I was tasked with putting the myths in chronological order, and keeping them all easy to connect with.
It wasn’t until I fell in love with GRRM’s SOIAF that I knew structuring a story of this epic scale was possible. I take you along several characters’ journeys through five major kingdoms. And after the movie Troy ruthlessly cut them out (and I wonder if David Benioff wishes now that he hadn’t), I put the pantheon of gods and goddesses back in there.
On to chronology: The first chronological hiccup involved Helen, Paris and Achilles. Let’s start with Paris, in particular: the Judgment of Paris. Most people familiar with the story assume that Paris gives the judgment of the fairest goddess to Aphrodite and leaves to Sparta not long after. But, it just doesn’t make sense that way, not in the context of the larger EPIC tale. Let me explain:
The golden apple contest that caused the Athena, Aphrodite and Hera to seek Paris as the judge occurred at the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis. These are Achilles parents. So, Achilles, the greatest fighter of all the Greeks has NOT been born yet. He’s the star of the Iliad. So, the judgment of Paris takes place soon after the wedding feast, before Achilles is conceived and born. Why does this matter? Because, we have to wait at least 15 to 18 years for Achilles to grow up, get trained, and father a son, Neoptolemus, BEFORE Odysseus can discover him on Skyros, dressed like a girl and call our hero into action. This means two things: Paris has to be at least 15-18 years old to be considered MAN enough to judge the goddesses (he’s not an 8 yr old judging 3 of the most powerful females in the story); therefore, Paris is 15-18 years older than Achilles. Most movies and books depict Paris and Achilles about the same age, or as in Troy make Paris much younger than Achilles. It’s all wrong. Paris is definitely Achilles’ elder.
That raises the next logical question: When does Paris meet and woo Helen? Because that is the EVENT that brings the Argives, Achaeans, Danaans to Troy. Paris couldn’t have taken off with Helen any time soon following the judgment because that would mean Paris and Helen would’ve been in Troy for years before Menelaus even tried to get her back...B/C we’d be waiting for Achilles to get born and come of age. Even if you take the whole Paris and Helen get lost in Egypt into consideration that still leaves too many years in between the kidnapping and the attempted rescue. Remember, no matter what, Achilles has to be old enough to lead the Myrmidons and have fathered a child before he goes to Troy, as other prophecies depend on it.
Hello fellow myth lovers! I’m so excited to share with you the Greek world of the Homeric Chronicles. If you watched the movie Troy and loved it, or felt like you wanted more...If you’re currently watching the BBC One Troy: Fall of a City (or waiting for it to hit your Netflix playlist), this podcast is for you. You’re a Myrmidon. Basically, if you love Greek mythology in any form you’ve come to the right place. Shall we get started?
When I first began toying with the idea it was...what if you could read about all the mythological stories as one seamless tale? I thought, what if George RR Martin was telling it? It would be EPIC! CRAZY HUGE! Can you imagine the cast of characters? It’d be a celebrity Who’s Who of the ancient myth-historic Greek world. And because I love these stories, I got to thinking...what if I wrote it? No way, I can’t do that. Then, I thought, you have a degree in history, why not try? And the Homeric Chronicles was born.
That left me with the million dollar question: Where to start? How to begin? After piles of research, 25 gray hairs carefully dyed dark brown, and a bazillion cups of coffee later, I realized exactly where I needed to start: with Homer. But not just some retelling that was meant to get you to the “great war” or to take you through the bizarre journeys of Odysseus back to Ithaka...It needed to be MORE. Much more! But, Homer’s work in the Iliad and Odyssey definitely provide the backbone. I wove many other stories that touched on the characters in Homer’s work into the structure of the spine. The major heroes and heroines of Homer’s tales are entwined with so many other characters I had to dig deep, b/c it’s chronological, I had to make some hard choices. The original myth-makers weren’t worried about telling stories that made chronological sense outside of the story they were reciting. But for the Homeric Chronicles to be what I envisioned that’s exactly what I had to do.
I wanted to include the regulars: Achilles, Paris, Hektor, Odysseus, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Helen, Hecuba, Cassandra, Andromache, Leda, Deidamia, Priam, Tyndareus, Peleus, Thetis, and Chiron just to name a few. And include characters like Palamedes, the poor guy who unfortunately pissed off Odysseus, Tantalus the first husband of Clytemnestra, Oenone Paris’s first wife, Peisidike the Methymnaan princess in love with Achilles, well, you get the picture. Now, I was tasked with putting the myths in chronological order, and keeping them all easy to connect with.
It wasn’t until I fell in love with GRRM’s SOIAF that I knew structuring a story of this epic scale was possible. I take you along several characters’ journeys through five major kingdoms. And after the movie Troy ruthlessly cut them out (and I wonder if David Benioff wishes now that he hadn’t), I put the pantheon of gods and goddesses back in there.
On to chronology: The first chronological hiccup involved Helen, Paris and Achilles. Let’s start with Paris, in particular: the Judgment of Paris. Most people familiar with the story assume that Paris gives the judgment of the fairest goddess to Aphrodite and leaves to Sparta not long after. But, it just doesn’t make sense that way, not in the context of the larger EPIC tale. Let me explain:
The golden apple contest that caused the Athena, Aphrodite and Hera to seek Paris as the judge occurred at the wedding feast of Peleus and Thetis. These are Achilles parents. So, Achilles, the greatest fighter of all the Greeks has NOT been born yet. He’s the star of the Iliad. So, the judgment of Paris takes place soon after the wedding feast, before Achilles is conceived and born. Why does this matter? Because, we have to wait at least 15 to 18 years for Achilles to grow up, get trained, and father a son, Neoptolemus, BEFORE Odysseus can discover him on Skyros, dressed like a girl and call our hero into action. This means two things: Paris has to be at least 15-18 years old to be considered MAN enough to judge the goddesses (he’s not an 8 yr old judging 3 of the most powerful females in the story); therefore, Paris is 15-18 years older than Achilles. Most movies and books depict Paris and Achilles about the same age, or as in Troy make Paris much younger than Achilles. It’s all wrong. Paris is definitely Achilles’ elder.
That raises the next logical question: When does Paris meet and woo Helen? Because that is the EVENT that brings the Argives, Achaeans, Danaans to Troy. Paris couldn’t have taken off with Helen any time soon following the judgment because that would mean Paris and Helen would’ve been in Troy for years before Menelaus even tried to get her back...B/C we’d be waiting for Achilles to get born and come of age. Even if you take the whole Paris and Helen get lost in Egypt into consideration that still leaves too many years in between the kidnapping and the attempted rescue. Remember, no matter what, Achilles has to be old enough to lead the Myrmidons and have fathered a child before he goes to Troy, as other prophecies depend on it.
My research took me to Apollodorus (a 2nd century AD compilation of ancient texts) which states in 3.13.8 that Achilles was 9 when he was taken to Skyros, because Odysseus was looking for him due to a prophecy by Agamemnon’s seer, Kalchus. There is some consensus that Achilles left Skyros at about 15. But let’s break this down chronologically and logically.
1. If Odysseus is looking for Achilles when Achilles is 9 and that’s why Thetis hid him as a girl, then he has to be hiding there for years before he’s old enough to get the princess Deidamia pregnant. So, for all these years, what are the Greeks under assembled under Agamemnon’s banner doing in Aulis? Twiddling their thumbs? Sewing sails? Getting sunburns? If the consensus is correct (and we have to make choices to be consistent) at least 6 years (give or take) have to pass until Odysseus finds Achilles.
2. I recall reading that there were TWO calls to war that met at Aulis...the first one which assembled the Greek tribes went to Aulis was a bust b/c they needed Achilles, so everyone went home and waited...then returned...years later? after Achilles was found? This doesn’t make any sense...it would’ve been a monumental feat getting that many ships and men from all across the Greek world assembled just once, but twice? And in all his searching, Odysseus never makes it back to Ithaka to sneak a little love time in with Penelope? I don’t buy it.
3. What makes sense in the human and mytho-historic terms is that Achilles is 9 when he goes to Skyros with Thetis fully aware about Achilles’ dual fate, and that some day he’d have a huge decision to make. When the call to Aulis came, 6 or so years later, that’s when Odysseus and Ajax find him. It gives time for him to grow up, father a son. I do give Achilles a few more years, rounding out his age at 18. Why? Because I used the historic figure, Alexander the Great, as a model. Alexander distinguished himself at Chaeronea at 18, so makes sense that a young man at 18 could indeed be seen to lead an army of warriors (Myrmidons).
Well, Myrmidons, times up for today. Up next time let’s take a deeper look into Helen’s age and how placing her story in chronological sequence was challenging, but not impossible.
For now--
What do you think about Paris being 18 years older than Achilles? that Helen couldn’t have been born at the time of the judgment?
How do you think a comprehensive timeline will change up the Greek myths as you know them?
Listen to the full episode at Greek Mythology Retold Podcast
You can find out by reading the Homeric Chronicles
Song of Sacrifice and Rise of Princes
Love to hear your thoughts, answer questions, and connect with my fellow Greek mythology lovers.
Join my mailing list for updates and Greeky things!
Until next time, let’s take the advice given to Menelaus in the Cypria: “know that the gods made wine the best thing for mortal man to scatter cares.” Drink your wine and be merry Myrmidons.
© 2018, revised 2026 Janell Rhiannon. All rights reserved.
Song of Sacrifice and Rise of Princes
Love to hear your thoughts, answer questions, and connect with my fellow Greek mythology lovers.
Join my mailing list for updates and Greeky things!
Until next time, let’s take the advice given to Menelaus in the Cypria: “know that the gods made wine the best thing for mortal man to scatter cares.” Drink your wine and be merry Myrmidons.
© 2018, revised 2026 Janell Rhiannon. All rights reserved.
Start the journey...
Sometimes people think being an historian is all about names and dates and politics, but it’s so much more. My favorite thing about studying ancient Greece is getting to a museum and looking at all the pottery. You get to see these beautiful works of art close up. Pictures just don't do justice to the sheer size of some of the pottery. My favorite place on the west coast to gaze at antiquities is the Getty Museum in Malibu, California. If you get a chance to go, you should. It's amazing not only for its art work, but because it's an actual replica of wealthy Roman villa complete with gardens and a giant pool.
While writing the Homeric Chronicles, I reference amphorae quite a bit because these vessels were commonly used to store wine, oil, and water much the way we use Tupperware. So, one vessel that intrigues me is the two handled amphora depicting Achilles and Ajax playing dice while trying to relax during the Trojan War. The vessel is from the Archaic Period (525-520 BCE).
I love this scene and decided to reference it in Rise of Princes, book two of the Homeric Chronicles. Playing dice humanizes the Greek heroes, making them reachable characters because they too needed reprieve from stress and bad days, as well as the grinding hardships of war. Enjoy the video :)
While writing the Homeric Chronicles, I reference amphorae quite a bit because these vessels were commonly used to store wine, oil, and water much the way we use Tupperware. So, one vessel that intrigues me is the two handled amphora depicting Achilles and Ajax playing dice while trying to relax during the Trojan War. The vessel is from the Archaic Period (525-520 BCE).
I love this scene and decided to reference it in Rise of Princes, book two of the Homeric Chronicles. Playing dice humanizes the Greek heroes, making them reachable characters because they too needed reprieve from stress and bad days, as well as the grinding hardships of war. Enjoy the video :)
Start your journey with the Homeric Chronicles grab Song of Sacrifice today!
Janell Rhiannon
Historian, Author, & Podcaster
“Tell me, O Muse…”
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