Comparing Greek Mythology and Modern Science Fiction

The Greek myths, foreign as they might seem to a modern audience, are still prevalent in today's society and culture. We use the names of Greek gods and goddesses to advertise consumer products, to name our corporations, and even to name our children. We frequently incorporate their mythological narratives into our modern literature, television, and film. Frank Herbert's Dune, for example, is a popular novel, movie, and television miniseries that, while appearing futuristic, is simply the continuation of the story of the House of Atreus, or, House Atreides, a story that was written thousands of years ago.

The legend of the House of Atreus starts as a battle for the throne of Mycene. Rival brothers, Atreus and Thyestes, want not only to be king, but also the hand of Atreus' wife, Aerope. The throne is passed back and forth several times between the brothers, but eventually, when Atreus' power is restored, he discovers his wife's adultery and, in retribution, cooks Thyestes sons and feeds them to their father. Thyestes, then, fathers a son by his daughter; the child, Aegisthus, is said to be destined to murder Atreus, which he eventually does. When Atreus' son, Agamemnon, reaches adulthood, he banishes Thyestes and becomes ruler of Mycene. Aegisthus however, seduces Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, and the two of them join forces to kill him upon his return from the Trojan War. Orestes and Electra, Agamemnon's children, then murder both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. (Atreus)