Christopher Nolan Officially Changes the Real Meaning Of 'Dune 3'

The Odyssey is breaking box office records, and shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Aside from Christopher Nolan being the premier director of the 21st century, who’s proven he can transform the cinematic experience into a cultural event, The Odyssey itself is a story of timeless appeal. Homer’s epic poem is one of the central building blocks of Western literature, and its influence can be seen across most of our favorite stories, be it Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or, in this case, Dune.

Dune: Part Three’s December release makes it another highly-anticipated movie, and The Odyssey weirdly serves as a canon prequel. That’s because Frank Herbert himself wrote the Greek King Agamemnon into his story, specifically in the novel Children of Dune. That statement may confuse you, but it fits the Dune narrative in an interesting way, and it has rich thematic meaning.

Paul Atreides Is a Descendant of Agamemnon in ‘Dune’ Lore

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros. Pictures
Universal Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures

Dune takes place roughly 20,000 years into the future, and that gap when you consider the Homeric epics are 3,000 years old. That said, the noble House Atreides are, canonically, descendants of Agamemnon. The term Atreides means “sons of Atreus,” which is the name of Agamemnon’s father. In the Robert Fagles translation of The Odyssey, he is often referred to as “Atreus’ son Agamemnon,” or, more directly, “Atrides Agamemnon.”

So, aside from simply drawing inspiration from Greek mythology for a cool-sounding name, Frank Herbert deliberately canonized the connection between Paul Atreides and Agamemnon. In the third novel of the series, Children of Dune, which takes place after the upcoming Dune: Part Three film, we see proof at multiple points. Paul’s daughter Ghanima says the following:

“Because I’m his daughter. We Atreides go back to Agamemnon and we know what’s in our blood… We Atreides have a bloody history and we’re not through with the blood.”

Earlier in the novel, Paul’s sister Alia Atreides (Anya Taylor-Joy’s character) actually interacts with Agamemnon. Much like Odysseus, who sees the fallen Greek king at the entrance to the Underworld, Alia hears her ancient ancestor in a vision, calling to her and demanding an audience.

Genetically, the idea of being an ancestor 20-something thousand years later is a bit far-fetched, but we have to remember that noble houses in Dune are preserved in a very particular way. When it comes to Paul, his lineage has been orchestrated for thousands of years, so anything is possible. Either way, it’s just a cool literary connection that embellishes Dune’s themes, so let’s just go with it.

Paul Atreides’ Arc Reflects Agamemnon’s Story in ‘The Odyssey’

Aside from being a fun little lore connection, these choices matter. First, the House of Atreus is “cursed” in Greek mythology, with several generations of tragedy and feuding. For example, Atreus and his brother’s horrible conflict over the Mycenaean kingdom costed them both dearly. That’s not even to mention the events we’ve seen in The Odyssey. The Trojan War, be it about Agamemnon’s quest for power, or his brother Menelaus bringing Helen home, does not allow either to leave unscathed. The tragic tales of Ancient Greece are known for exploring such intrafamilial complexities, so it’s entirely suitable for Dune, a more contemporary work with deep family drama, to model itself after them.

Just from the first two Dune films, we’ve already seen House Atreides suffer, with Leto being killed, and Paul sacrificing much of his humanity in order to defeat the Harkonnens. Agamemnon infamously sacrificed his daughter, Iphigenia, before departing for the Trojan War, hoping to earn the gods’ favor. Paul spends much of Dune: Part Two becoming more intimate with Chani, only to lose her as he wields his own mythological status to manipulate the Fremen into defeating his enemies. Agamemnon wins the war; Paul becomes Emperor; Troy is Arrakis. These pieces fall into place nicely to draw comparisons, and they don’t stop there.

Warning: The remainder of this article contains spoilers for the novel ‘Dune Messiah’ that will likely be in ‘Dune: Part Three’

In Dune Messiah, we pick up years after Paul’s ascension, much like how we visit Agamemnon in The Odyssey; after the war has ended. Paul has led a mass holy war, killing 61 billion people to solidify his control over the galaxy. However, things are not well at home. His wife, Irulan, conspires against him. Needless to say, based on Dune: Part Three’s trailers, Chani isn’t happy with him either. He has betrayed his humanity, and the ensuing story is about his downfall. Likewise, Agamemnon returns home to be murdered by his wife.

Perhaps most importantly, is that neither tragic tale ends at that moment. Paul’s sister and children live on, with four more novels in the series following further events that continue the saga of the Atreides. In the Oresteia plays, Agamemnon’s son Orestes kills his mother to avenge his father, and a new tale begins in the aftermath. What we have, in both cases, is a cycle of blood and vengeance. In Frank Herbert’s Dune lore, the “curse” began in Ancient Greece, and continues to plague the sons of Atreus millennia into the future.

The idea of Dune hasn’t always been clear to audiences. It’s easy to look at Paul, with Timothee Chalamet’s charming performance and the greater evil of the Harkonnens, and consider him a hero. While he may be our protagonist, Paul Atreides is most certainly not a hero, and this comparison offers some perspective that might be valuable when going into Dune: Part Three. What kind of man is Paul Atreides? Christopher Nolan may have just shown us.