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Title
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De Clitemestra micenan regina
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Description
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Clytemnestra, the queen of Mycenae, is depicted on the far left-hand side of the engraving with a crown on her head. We know that this is in fact Clytemnestra as her name is engraved directly above her head. In front of Clytemnestra is the person she has been having an affair with, Aegisthus. His name is engraved beside his leg. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, as explained by Boccaccio, had conjured a plan to kill Clytemnestra’s husband, king Agamemnon, in order to gain control of Mycenae. Clytemnestra gave Agamemnon a piece of clothing that had no neck hole, so as he struggled with the garment, the adulterer Aegisthus pierced Agamemnon with a sword (this is depicted on the left-hand side of the engraving). Agamemnon’s name is engraved above his head in order to identify him as his head is under the clothing. Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, sought to avenge his father’s death. He is depicted on the right-hand side of the engraving, killing both his mother and Aegisthus. Orestes’ name is engraved at the top of the engraving to identify him.
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Image Creator
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Anonymous (Engraver)
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Identifier
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mta:11944
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Source Name
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De Claris Mulieribus
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Image
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mta_11944_OBJ.png
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Subject
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Clytemnestra
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Agamemnon
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Infidelity
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Greek Mythology
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Important Women
mta_11944_OBJ.png