His father, Iesada, was known as the most loyal subject in the Taira family, and Ietsugu also served TAIRA no Kiyomori as the so called "central core" of the Taira family's private army who controlled the samurai in Iga Province, which was traditionally under the influence of the Ise-Heishi (Taira clan).
父、家貞は平家随一の忠臣として知られ、家継もまた伊勢平氏の伝統的勢力圏である伊賀国を本拠として同地の武士を統率する、いわば平家の私的軍事力における中枢的存在として平清盛に仕えた。