:''For the [[opera]] by [[Francesco Cavalli]], see [[Egisto (opera)|Egisto]]''

[[Image:Murder Aegisthus Louvre K320.jpg|thumb|right|250px|'''Aegisthus''' being murdered by [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]] — [[Louvre]]]]
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Aegisthus''' ([[ancient Greek|Gr.]] '''{{polytonic|Αίγισθος}}''', "[[Domestic goat|goat]] [[Physical strength|strength]]" — also [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as '''Aegisthos''' or '''Aigísthos''') was the son of [[Thyestes]] and of his daughter, [[Pelopia]].

Thyestes felt he had been deprived of the [[Mycenae|Mycenean]] throne unfairly by his brother, [[Atreus]]. The two battled back and forth several times. In addition, Thyestes had an affair with Atreus' wife, [[Aerope]]. In revenge, Atreus killed Thyestes' sons and served them to him unknowingly. After eating his own sons' corpses, Thyestes asked an [[oracle]] how best to gain revenge. The advice was to father a son with his own daughter, Pelopia, and that son would kill Atreus.

When Aegisthus was born, his mother was ashamed of her incestuous act. She [[Abandonment|abandoned]] him and he was raised by shepherds and suckled by a goat, whence his name Aegisthus (from {{polytonic|αίξ}}).<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' 87, 88;</ref><ref>[[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]], ''[[Claudius Aelianus#Varia Historia (Ποικίλη Ιστορία)|Varia Historia]]'' xii. 42</ref> Atreus, not knowing the baby's origin, took Aegisthus in and raised him as his own son.

In the night in which Pelopia had shared the bed of her father, she had taken from him his [[sword]] which she afterwards gave to Aegisthus. This sword became the means by which the [[incest]]uous intercourse be­tween her and her father was discovered, where­upon she [[suicide|put an end]] to her own life. Atreus in his enmity towards his brother sent Aegisthus to kill him; but the sword which Aegisthus carried was the cause of the recognition between Thyestes and his son, and the latter returned and slew his uncle Atreus, while he was offering a sacrifice on the sea-coast. Aegisthus and his father now took possession of their lawful inheritance from which they had been expelled by Atreus.<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''l.c.'' and 252</ref>

Aegisthus and Thyestes thereafter ruled over [[Mycenae]] jointly, exiling Atreus' sons, [[Agamemnon]] and [[Menelaus]] to [[Sparta]], where King [[Tyndareus]] gave the pair his daughters, [[Clytemnestra]] and [[Helen]], to take as wives.

[[Homer]] appears to know nothing of all these tragic occurrences, and we learn from him only that, after the death of Thyestes, Aegisthus ruled as king at Mycenae and took no part in the Trojan expedition.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' iv. 518, &c.</ref> While [[Agamemnon]], the son of Atreus, was absent on his expedition against Troy, Aegisthus seduced [[Clytemnestra]], the wife of Agamemnon, and was so wicked as to offer up thanks to the gods for the success with which his criminal exertions were crowned.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' iii. 263, &c.</ref> In order not to be surprised by the return of Agamemnon, he sent out spies, and when Agamemnon came, Aegisthus invited him to a repast at which he had him treacherously murdered.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' iv. 524, &c.</ref><ref>[[Pausanias]], ii. 16. § 5.</ref> After this event Aegisthus reigned seven years longer over Mycenae, until in the eighth [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes]], the son of Agamemnon, returned home and avenged the death of his father by putting the adulterer to death.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'' i. 28, &c.</ref><ref>{{Citation
| last = Schmitz
| first = Leonhard
| author-link =
| contribution = Aegisthus
| editor-last = Smith
| editor-first = William
| title = [[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]
| volume = 1
| pages = 26-27
| publisher =
| place = Boston
| year = 1867
| contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0035.html }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{SmithDGRBM}}

[[Category:Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological kings]]
[[Category:Fictional offspring of incestuous relationships]]

[[br:Aigistos]]
[[bg:Егист]]
[[ca:Egist]]
[[cs:Aigisthos]]
[[de:Aigisthos]]
[[el:Αίγισθος]]
[[es:Egisto]]
[[fa:آیگیستوس]]
[[fr:Égisthe]]
[[it:Egisto]]
[[he:אייגיסתוס]]
[[lt:Egistas]]
[[hu:Aigiszthosz]]
[[nl:Aigisthos]]
[[no:Aigisthos]]
[[pl:Aigistos]]
[[pt:Egisto]]
[[ru:Эгисф]]
[[fi:Aigisthos]]
[[sv:Aigisthos]]