Atrides
/ˈeɪ.trɪ.diːz/noun
A collective name for the descendants of Atreus, especially Agamemnon and Menelaus, in Greek mythology.
Did you know?The Atrides belong to one of Greek mythology’s most notoriously cursed bloodlines, whose cycle of violence culminates in Agamemnon’s murder and Orestes’ revenge.
Etymological Timeline
Mycenaean Greek tradition
Greek
Ἀτρεύς (Atreus)
“The personal name of the mythic king and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus; its deeper meaning is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἀτρείδαι (Atreídai)
“The sons or descendants of Atreus, a patronymic plural formed from Atreus.”
Classical Greek
Greek
οἱ Ἀτρεῖδαι (hoi Atreidai)
“The house or lineage of Atreus, especially Agamemnon and Menelaus.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Atridae
“The Atridae, descendants of Atreus, borrowed from Greek mythology.”
17th–18th Century
English
Atrides
“An English plural or collective form referring to the family of Atreus.”
Modern English
English
Atrides
“A literary or mythological name for the cursed dynasty descended from Atreus.”