u/CriticalSupport348

Since the new Odyssey movie is coming up soon and there is much discussion about its casting, I put together the genealogy of Helen and Clytemnestra to show the importance of African figures in the dynasties of Argos and Mycenae... at least according to myth.

The two foundational moments in this dynasty are unmistakably defined by African figures and heroines:

The return of Danaus to Argos and the marriages of his 50 daughters (a.k.a. the Danaids).
The founding of Mycenae by Perseus and Andromeda.

Both moments provide key mythological motifs for understanding Clytemnestra:

Forty-nine Danaids murder their husbands, except for one: Hypermnestra, Clytemnestra’s queen ancestor.(Clytemnestra murders her husband.)
Andromeda was about to be sacrificed by her parents but was saved by Perseus.(Clytemnestra’s daughter is sacrificed by Agamemnon.)

This post is not meant to defend Nolan’s The Odyssey casting choices. It is meant to establish a better foundation for the inevitable discussion (and much grifting) that is taking place.

Interested to hear your thoughts. (Also, let me know if I made any mistake in the tree.)

Edit: Of course, Helen's father is Zeus according to myth. Nolan seems to use the version of the myth where the two sisters are twins, so Tyndareus is somewhat involved in Helen's conception.

Where are the Greeks? Greek casting leaks

African Descent in the Mythological Genealogy of Helen and Clytemnestra