< Menelaus, son of Pleisthenes >

1 Origins

Menelaus was born in Cleonae, Argolis, in 1230 BC.

Menelaus' father was Pleisthenes, son of Atreus. [Apo.3.2.2, Dictys.1.1, 5.16, MalaChro.5.94]

Menelaus' mother was Aerope (or Eriphyle), daughter of Catreus. [Apo.3.2.2, Dictys.1.1]

2 Family

Menelaus married Helen, daughter of Tyndareus. [Hyginus.78, Paus.2.22.6]

Menelaus and Helen had a daughter, Hermione.

Menelaus also had two sons, Nicostratus and Megapenthes, by the Aetolian slave Tereis (or Pieris). [Apo.3.11.1, Paus.2.18.6]

Menelaus and Cnossia had a son, Xenodamus. [Apo.3.11.1]

3 Others

In 1217 BC, Eurystheus was succeeded by Atreus, who emigrated from Cleonae to Mycenae with his father Atreus. [Diod.4.58.2]

In 1205 BC, Menelaus moved from Mycenae to Sparta and married Helen, daughter of Tyndareus. [Hyginus.78, Paus.2.22.6]

In legend, Menelaus received the throne of Lacedaemon from his wife's father Tyndareus. [Apo.3.11.2, Apo.E.2.16]

However, when Menelaus and Helen married, Tyndareus and his sons who succeeded Tyndareus were dead.

It is assumed that Menelaus gained control of the Lacedaemonians with the backing of Mycenae.

Menelaus appears in the legend of the Trojan War, but it is thought that he did not campaign against Troy for the same reasons as Agamemnon. [See Agamemnon]

Menelaus was buried in Therapne with Helen. [Paus.3.19.9]