PELOPS AND OENOMAUS

Pelops, who was forced by the barbarians to leave Paphlagonia, his native land, he went to the court of King Oenomaus, son of Mars, with the intention to marry his daughter Hippodamia.

But an oracle had revealed to Oenomaus that he would die at the hands of his son in law, therefore Oenomaus prevented any suitor to marry Hippodamia, using this trick: as he possessed insurmountable divine horses promised to give in marriage his daughter if he had been passed in a race of chariots, otherwise his opponents would have lost their life.

Pelops when saw the heads of the thirteen suitors, who had preceded him, nailed to the doors of the palace of Oenomaus, knew he had to resort to deception.

Therefore bribed the charioteer of Oenomaus, promising a night of love with Hippodamia, the charioteer tampered with the wheels of the chariot of the king. During the race happened what had to happen, the wheels of the chariot of Oenomaus broke away and the king swept away died. Moreover Pelops jealous of Hippodamia, drowned the charioteer, who at the point of death cursed him and all his descendants.

So it was that Pelops was the cause of the ruin of his sons Atreus and Thyestes.

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