You ever thought to yourself how were Atreus and Thyestes considered candidates for the Mycenaean throne? Sure they were the uncles of the previous king Eurystheus, but they are still guilty of kin slaying so what gives? Also what were they doing in Mycenae?
Apollodorus the Library:
Turns out Sthenelus gave them Midea (even tho they were kin slayers?? Tho perhaps in this telling they haven’t killed Chrysippus yet) and there’s no reason given on why he does that but bc they rule over a town under Mycenaean rule it means they could inherit the throne if Eurystheus and all his sons died leaving no other legitimate heirs to the throne, which is exactly what happened.
I wonder if Nicippe was the one to encourage Sthenelus to give Midea to her exiled brothers, not bc she thinks what they did was justified or anything but bc she wanted to give them a new start and redemption for killing Chrysippus, perhaps she also wanted her elderly mother to live her final days in some comfort bc Hippodamia was exiled from her home and hated by her husband, so one could only imagine the grief Nicippe went through when her husband, son, grandsons, half brother AND mother all died and her two brothers whom she tried to give a second chance became more and more evil.











