Source edition
Seneca, Lucius Annaeus. Tragoediae. Peiper, Rudolf; Richter, Gustav, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1921.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This tragedy depicts the cursed lineage of the House of Pelops and the horrific cycle of revenge between the brothers Atreus and Thyestes. The drama begins when the ghost of Tantalus is summoned from the Underworld, unleashing a plague of disaster upon his descendants. Driven by past betrayals over the throne, Atreus devises a monstrous plot of vengeance against his exiled brother, Thyestes, under the guise of a peaceful reconciliation. Despite harboring dark forebodings, Thyestes falls into the trap and is served the flesh of his own children at a lavish banquet. This sacrilegious abomination disrupts the cosmic order, causing the sun to reverse its course and shroud the world in darkness. The play culminates in an agonizing climax where Thyestes discovers the horrific truth and sinks into despair, while Atreus triumphs in his cruel victory, leaving no room for redemption.