You probably know that Dune: Part Three will arrive in theaters later this year, but do you know a de facto prequel debuted this summer? The Odyssey features one of Paul Atreides’ most famous ancestors, Agamemnon. Or at least, that’s what his family claims. Whether or not they’re actually related to the mythical Greek commander is up for debate. What’s not debatable is the thematic ties between the two proud royal families.
Of all the houses in Ancient Greece to claim as family, you can definitely do better than the House of Atreus. That mythological family might be full of legendary heroes, but it’s best known for a generational curse. That infamous hex, which resulted in many tragedies and brutal deaths among its most powerful figures, is one of the reasons Frank Herbert wanted to tie Paul Atreides to King Agamemnon.
Our resident Dune expert, video editor Matt Caron, explained how and why Herbert tied House Atreides—whose name comes right from the Ancient Greek clan—to the infamous mythological characters. It did more than just imbue Herbert’s sci-fi story with the gravitas of old myths and legends.
The connection comes from the “Other Memory” experienced by multiple Atreides members. In one instance, Paul’s sister Alia hears Agammenon speaking to her. The only reason this claim to the Ancient Greek King is not definitive is because of a different Atreides ancestor introduced in a later Brian Herbert Dune novel. It features a man who turned himself into an evil cyborg Titan. This Atreides ancestor then took the name General Agamemnon. It’s possible that ten thousand years after the Titan died his descendants are hearing his voice when “Agamemnon” speaks. (Yup! Seriously. Welcome everyone to the extended, sometimes exhausting expanded lore of Dune!)
In-world, this familial tie gives the Atreides space clan a noble ancestry. It roots itself in the heroic past of Earth. It also gives House Atreides an ancient right to rule over others. More important, is what it does thematically. House Atreus’ story ties into Paul’s own hero’s journey and subsequent fall. That’s not a spoiler, either. Dune: Part Two ends with him leading a galaxy wide jihad that results in the death of billions. He’s already fallen. But that doesn’t mean the connections between myth and the Kwisatz Haderach are over just yet….
The links between Agammenon and Paul also reflect the cyclical nature of both history and stories. Twenty thousand years after the Greeks fought the Persians, Paul ended the reign of the last Padishah Emperor. (That royal title comes from ancient Persia. House Atreides wasn’t the only part of the Imperium hoping to establish itself by drawing on Earth’s past.)
What other reasons could Frank Herbert have had for connecting Paul Atreides’ tale to the tragedy of House Atreus? You’ll have to wait for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy to finish telling its story for that answer. But it will make more sense if you already saw its de facto prequel The Odyssey.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks