Tyndareus- Greek FigureMortal"King of Sparta"

Exile and Restoration

Tyndareus was a son of Oebalus and the rightful king of Sparta. His half-brother Hippocoon seized power and drove him into exile. Tyndareus took refuge in Aetolia with King Thestius, whose daughter Leda he married. He remained in exile until Heracles attacked Sparta, killed Hippocoon and all his sons, and restored Tyndareus to his kingdom.

The Oath of Tyndareus

When Helen came of age, suitors arrived from across Greece. Tyndareus feared that choosing one would turn the others into enemies. Odysseus, who had come seeking Helen but recognized he had little chance, proposed a solution: before the choice was made, all suitors should swear to accept the chosen husband and defend him against anyone who wronged the marriage. In exchange, Tyndareus helped Odysseus win the hand of Penelope, daughter of his brother Icarius. With the oath sworn, Tyndareus chose Menelaus as Helen's husband and abdicated the Spartan throne in his favor.

Clytemnestra's Marriage

Tyndareus arranged the marriage of his daughter Clytemnestra to Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and Menelaus's brother. In Apollodorus's account, Agamemnon had killed Clytemnestra's first husband and their infant child, then taken her by force. Tyndareus initially opposed the match but was eventually reconciled.

The Old King

Apollodorus says Tyndareus traveled through Greece after Helen's abduction. He reminded the suitors of their oath and called them to arms. In Euripides' Orestes, the aged Tyndareus appears at Argos after Agamemnon's murder, demanding that Orestes be punished for killing Clytemnestra.