Aegisthus

American  

[ee-jis-thuhs] / iˈdʒɪs θəs /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a cousin of Agamemnon who seduced Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife, and was later killed by Orestes.

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Aegisthus British  

/ iːˈdʒɪsθəs /

noun

1. Greek myth a cousin to and the murderer of Agamemnon, whose wife Clytemnestra he had seduced. He usurped the kingship of Mycenae until Orestes, Agamemnon's son, returned home and killed him

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Example Sentences

It is left to Aegisthus, the poet, to rail against the war and what it has wrought.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2022

The liberties the playwright and director take with the trilogy — completed in about 2½ hours, with one intermission — include eliminating some characters, such as Aegisthus, Clytemnestra’s lover, who is implicated in Agamemnon’s death.

From Washington Post • May 7, 2019

She played the title role; Taylor was Aegisthus, her evil lover and second husband.

From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2018

In a cast that achieves a triumph of ensemble playing, Clytemnestra is coolly reptilian, and Aegisthus is a strutting upstart of self-aggrandizement who yet meets his implacable doom with dignity.

From Time Magazine Archive

“No more blood for you and me,” Clytemnestra said to Aegisthus.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton