c.460 B.C.E. - Greek Vase Painting of the Murder of King Agamemnon

"This Greek vase from the fifth century B.C.E. shows Queen Clytemnestra (left) and her lover Aegisthus murdering her husband, King Agamemnon, after he returns home from leading the Greek army in its ten-year war against Troy. The painting shows Agamemnon as defenseless because he was ensnared in a gauzy robe that his wife gave him after he took a bath... Greek mythology had many stories of murderous vengeance that emphasized how difficult it was to regulate human passions with social norms and laws (The Making of the West 101). This particular mixing bowl shows the prominence of Greek mythology in everyday life. The mythology not only gave rules to live your life by through vague morals to the stories, but also provided entertainment and inspiration for art.

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