Is the Past Destined to be Repeated?

Tantalus feasted on his son`s body and thus earned the gods wrath. His son Pelops killed his father-in-law in order to win his wife's hand in marriage. Pelops` son Atreus threw a feast for his brother out of his brother`s own sons in revenge for his brother seducing his wife. Growing up Agamemnon was probably aware of his family's past. His father probably bragged about how he had gotten revenge on his brother. Agamemnon being superstitious like all Greeks probably also believed the curse that had been placed on him. With the curse and his family`s history you would think that Agamemnon would take special care to raise his kids correctly and not seduce his brother`s wife. Simple, right? However his brother was taken by another and Agamemnon became commander in chief. Agamemnon had  prophecy told to him that if he sacrificed his daughter to appease Athena then they would win the Trojan war. Torn by duty to the people he lead and duty to his family, the former eventually wins out and Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter.

In writing The Oresteia Aeschylus raised an interesting point. How much of our fate is determined by the
people who raised us and are we doomed to repeat their mistakes? Agamemnon was not likely raised in the
best household with his father willing feeding his nephew to his brother. Did Agamemnon even have a choice?
Or was he destined to sacrifice his daughter? I think that Agamemnon has stuck in tough place.
He thought he had to choose between two duties, one as a father and one as a leader.

He chose the one that was considered more acceptable at the time, though not by Clytemnestra.  But he did
have a choice. That choice made him arrogant and blinded him to what he was doing to the Trojans.
I commented on Joshua`s and Sydney`s post.