Agamemnon

American  

[ag-uh-mem-non, -nuhn] / ˌæg əˈmɛm nɒn, -nən /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a king of Mycenae, a son of Atreus and brother of Menelaus. He led the Greeks in the Trojan War and was murdered by Clytemnestra, his wife, upon his return from Troy.

2. (italics) a tragedy (458 b.c.) by Aeschylus.

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Agamemnon British  

/ ˌæɡəˈmɛmnɒn /

noun

1. Greek myth a king of Mycenae who led the Greeks at the siege of Troy. On his return home he was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus See also Menelaus

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Agamemnon Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, the king who led the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War (see also Trojan War). To obtain favorable winds for the Greek fleet sailing to Troy, Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis and so came under a curse. After he returned home victorious, he was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus.

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Etymology

Origin of Agamemnon

< Greek Agamémnon- (stem of Agamémnōn ), < *Agaménmon-, equivalent to aga- great + men- (truncation of Menelaus, meaning king) + -mon- suffix used in shortened names

Example Sentences

In the Astute series, HMS Agamemnon, was launched last October and another is under construction which will take the number of submarines in this class to seven.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

How to tell your Aeschylus from your Agamemnon?

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2023

This poem tells the story of the Trojan War, in which the Greek kingdoms, led by King Agamemnon of Mycenae, waged war against the city of Troy.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

What matters is the excruciating ransom that Agamemnon, a military commander and a great believer in prophecies, thinks he has to pay to get the winds blowing again so he can be victorious in war.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2022

Then Tyndareus chose Menelaus, the brother of Agamemnon, and made him King of Sparta as well.

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