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House Atreides is a fictional noble family from Frank Herbert's Dune novels. House Atreides is one of the great houses of the Imperium, the feudal interstallar empire that forms the backdrop to the Dune novels. This noble house hailing from the water planet of Caladan employs unlikely methods in its struggle to secure the spice of Arrakis: noble spirit, just ways and unfailing virtue. Ruling its homeworld Caladan for generations with justice and generosity, House Atreides has perfected a form of government that results in a well-organized society and a spiritually satisfied people. Little wonder that Caladan is the lush, prosperous paradise that it is.
House Atreides is ruled by a duke. At first in the Dune novel the Duke is Leto Atreides. He married the Bene Gesserit acolyte Jessica, who produced for him the son Paul Atreides.
Leto's son Paul Atreides is the main character during the first novels. He fights with the native Fremen in the war on Arrakis and finally becomes both the Fremen Messiah and Emperor of the known universe.
As Paul Atreides is lost in the desert eight years later, his sister Alia inherits his title as the Duke of Atreides and as Emperor.
House Atreides claims descent from the Atreidae or House of Atreus of Greek mythology. The descendants of Atreus are called Atreides in Greek language. This Royal House included many significant mythological figures:
- Atreus, King of Mycenae and his wife Aerope.
- Agamemnon, King of Mycenae and his wife Clytemnestra.
- Menelaus, King of Sparta and his wife Helen.
- Iphigeneia, Princess of Mycenae and Priestess of Artemis.
- Chrysothemis, Princess of Mycenae.
- Electra, Princess of Mycenae and consort of King Pylades of Phocis.
- Orestes, Prince of Mycenae and his wife Hermione, Princess of Sparta. Later jointly King and Queen of Argos,Mycenae and Sparta.
- Tisamenus, King of Argos, Mycenae and Sparta.
