When blind Oedipus was expelled from Thebes, his sons and Creon divided power among themselves. Each of them was to rule in turn for a year. Eteocles did not want to share power with his older brother Polyneices; he expelled his brother from the seven gates of Thebes and alone seized power over Thebes. Polynices retired to Argos, where King Adrastus ruled.
King Adrastus came from the Amyphaonid family. Once upon a time, two heroes, the great soothsayer Melampod and Biant, the sons of the hero Amiphaon, married the daughters of King Proytes. It happened like this: the daughters of Proetus angered the gods and were punished by the fact that the gods sent madness to them. In a fit of madness, the daughters of Proyt imagined that they were cows, and ran mooing through the surrounding fields and forests. Melampod, who knew the secret of how to heal the daughters of Proytes, volunteered to heal them, but for this he demanded that Proytes give him a third of his possessions. Proyt did not agree to this. The disaster intensified even more, and other women became infected with madness. Proytes turned to Melampod again. Melampod demanded not one third, but two thirds, one for himself and the other for his brother Biant. Proyt had to agree. Melampodes with a detachment of young men went to the mountains, captured, after a long pursuit, all the insane women and daughters of Proytes and healed them. Proytes gave his daughters as wives to Melampod and Biant.
Melampodus had a son Antiphatus, Antiphatus had Oicles, and Oicles had Amphiaraus. Biant had a son, Tal, and his children were Adrastus and Erifil. When the descendants of Melampod and Biant, Adrastus and Amphiaraus, matured, a feud broke out between them. Adrastus had to flee to Sicyon to King Polybus. There he married the king's daughter and received power over Sikyon. But a little time later, Adrastus returned to his native Argos, reconciled with Amphiaraus and married his sister Eriphyle to him. Adrastus and Amphiaraus swore an oath to each other that Eriphyle would always be the judge in their disputes and that they would have to unquestioningly follow her decisions. Amphiaraus did not think that this decision would cause the death of him and his family.
Polynices came to the palace of King Adrast late at night, hoping to find protection and help from him. At the palace Polynices met the son of Oeneus, the hero Tydeus, who, having killed his uncle and cousins in his homeland, also fled to Argos. A fierce dispute broke out between both heroes. The indomitable Tydeus, who could not tolerate anyone’s objections, grabbed his weapon. Polyneices, too, covered himself with a shield and drew his sword. The heroes rushed at each other. Their swords thundered loudly against their copper-clad shields. Like two angry lions, the heroes fought in the darkness. Adrast heard the noise of the duel and left the palace. How surprised he was to see two young men fiercely fighting each other. One of them, Polyneices, was covered on top of his weapons with the skin of a lion, while the other, Tydeus, was covered with the skin of a huge boar. Adrastus remembered the prophecy given to him by the oracle that he should marry his daughters to a lion and a boar. He hastily separated the heroes and brought them into his palace as guests. Soon King Adrastus gave his daughters away - one, Deipila, to Polyneices, the other, Argea, to Tydeus.
Having become Adrastus's sons-in-law, Polynices and Tydeus began to ask him to return power to them in their homeland. Adrastus agreed to help them; he only set the condition that Amphiaraus, a mighty warrior and a great soothsayer, also take part in the campaign.
It was decided to move first against the seven gates of Thebes. Amphiaraus refused to take part in this campaign, since he knew that the heroes were undertaking this campaign against the will of the gods. He, the favorite of Zeus and Apollo, did not want to anger the gods by violating their will. No matter how Tydeus persuaded Amphiaraus, he stood firm on his decision. Tydeus flared up with indomitable anger; the heroes would have become enemies forever if Adrastus had not reconciled them. In order to force Amphiaraus to take part in the campaign, Polyneices decided to resort to cunning. He decided to win over Eriphyle to his side, so that by her decision she would force Amphiaraus to go against Thebes. Knowing Eriphyle's self-interest, Polyneices promised to give her the precious necklace of Harmonia, the wife of the first king of Thebes, Cadmus. She was seduced by Erifil's precious gift and decided that her husband should participate in the campaign. Amphiaraus could not refuse, because he himself had once sworn an oath that he would obey all the decisions of Erifila. So she sent Eriphilus to the certain death of her husband, tempted by a precious necklace; She did not know that the necklace brings great troubles to the one who owns it.
Many heroes agreed to participate in this campaign. It was attended by the mighty descendants of Proetus, strong as a god, Capaneus and Eteocles, the son of the famous Arcadian huntress Atalanta, the young and beautiful Parthenopaus, the glorious Hippomedont and many other heroes. Polynices also turned to Mycenae for help; The ruler of Mycenae had already agreed to take part in the campaign, but the great thunderer Zeus kept him from doing so with his formidable signs. Nevertheless, a large army gathered. Seven leaders led an army against Thebes, and Adrastus was at the head of them all. Heroes went to their deaths. They did not listen to the admonitions of the soothsayer Amphiaraus, who asked them not to start this campaign. All of them burned with only one desire - to fight under the walls of Thebes.
The army set out on a campaign. Amphiaraus also said goodbye to his family, he hugged his daughters, hugged his sons, very young Alcmaeon and little Amphilochus, who was still in the arms of the nurse. Before leaving, Amphiaraus conjured his son Alcmaeon to take revenge on his mother, who sent his father to his death. Amphiaraus ascended, full of sorrow, onto the chariot: he knew that this was the last time he would see his children. Standing on a chariot, Amphiaraus, turning to his wife Eriphyle, threatened her with a naked sword and cursed her for dooming him to death.
The army reached Nemea safely. There the soldiers, tormented by thirst, began to look for water. They could not find a single source anywhere, since they were filled up with nymphs at the behest of Zeus, who was angry at the heroes who had undertaken a campaign against his will. Finally, they met the former queen of Lemnos Hypsipyle with the little son of the king of Nemea Lycurgus, Ophelt, in her arms. Hypsipyle was sold into slavery by the women of Lemnos because she saved her father Phaontas when they killed all the men. Now the queen of Lemnos was a slave to Lycurgus and nursed his son. Hypsipyle sat little Ophelt on the grass and went to show the warriors a source hidden in the forest. As soon as Hypsipyle and the warriors left Ophelt, a huge snake crawled out of the bushes and wrapped its coils around the child. The soldiers and Hypsipyle came running to his cry, and Lycurgus and his wife Eurydice rushed to the rescue, but the snake had already strangled Ophelt. Lycurgus rushed to Hypsipyle with his sword drawn. He would have killed her, but Tydeus protected her. He was ready to engage in battle with Lycurgus, but Adrastus and Amphiaraus held him back. They did not allow blood to be shed. The heroes buried Ophelt and at his funeral they held war games, which laid the foundation for the Nemean games. Amphiaraus understood that the death of Ophelt was a terrible sign for the entire army, that this death foreshadowed the death of all the heroes. He called Opheltas Amphiaraus Archemorus (leading to death) and began to advise all heroes to stop the campaign against Thebes; but, as before, they did not listen - they stubbornly walked towards their death.
Having passed through the gorges of elk-covered Kietheron, the army arrived to the shores of Asopus, to the walls of the seven-gate Thebes. The leaders did not immediately begin the siege. They decided to send Tydeus to Thebes to negotiate with the besieged. Arriving in Thebes, Tydeus found the most noble Thebans at a feast with Eteocles. The Thebans did not listen to Tydeus; they laughingly invited him to take part in the feast. Tydeus was angry, and, despite the fact that he was alone in the circle of enemies, he challenged them to single combat and defeated them all one by one, since Pallas Athena helped her favorite. Anger took possession of the Thebans, they decided to destroy the great hero. They sent fifty young men under the leadership of Meontes and Lycophon to ambush Tydeus when he returned to the besiegers’ camp. And here Tydeus did not die, he killed all the young men, only he released Meont at the command of the gods, so that Meont could inform the Thebans about the feat of Tydeus.
After this, the enmity between the heroes who came from Argos and the Thebans flared up even more fiercely. All seven leaders made sacrifices to the god Ares, all the gods of battle and the god Thanat. Having soaked their hands in sacrificial blood, they vowed to either destroy the walls of Thebes, or, having fallen in battle, water the Theban land with their blood. The Argive army prepared for the assault. Adrastus distributed the troops; each of the seven leaders had to attack one of the seven gates.
The mighty Tydeus, thirsting for blood, like a ferocious dragon, stood against the Protis Gate with his detachment. Three crests fluttered from his helmet, on his shield was depicted a night sky covered with stars, and in the middle of the eyes of the night was a full moon. Opposite the gates of Electra, Capaneus placed his huge detachment, like a giant. He threatened the Thebans that he would take the city, even if the gods opposed it; he said that even the all-crushing anger of the thunderer Zeus would not stop him. Capaneus’s shield depicted a naked hero holding a torch. Eteocles, a descendant of Proetus, stood with a detachment against the Neia Gate; and on his shield was an emblem: a man climbing a ladder to the tower of a besieged city, and below was written: “The god Ares himself will not overthrow me.” Hippomedon stood opposite the gates of Athena; on his shield, sparkling like the sun, Typhon was depicted spewing flame. The war cry of Hippomedon sounded with rage, the look of his eyes threatened death to everyone. The young and beautiful Parthenopaius led his detachment against the Boread Gate. On his shield was depicted the Sphinx with a dying Theban in her claws. The soothsayer Amphiaraus was besieging the Homoloid Gate. He was angry with Tydeus, the instigator of the war, he scolded him, the murderer, the destroyer of cities, the messenger of rage, the servant of murder, the adviser of all evils. He hated this campaign, he reproached Polyneices for bringing an army of foreigners to destroy his native Thebes. Amphiaraus knew that the descendants would curse the participants in this campaign. Amphiaraus also knew that he himself would fall in battle and that the land of Thebes would swallow his corpse. There was no emblem on Amphiaraus's shield - its appearance alone was more impressive than any emblem. The last, seventh gate was besieged by Polynices. His shield depicted a goddess leading an armed hero, and the inscription on the shield read: “I will bring this man as a conqueror back to his city and to the house of his fathers.” Everything was ready for the assault on the indestructible walls of Thebes.
The Thebans also prepared for battle: Eteocles stationed a detachment of warriors led by a famous hero at each gate. He himself took upon himself the defense of the gate against which his brother Polynices was. Tydeus was opposed by the mighty son of Astach Melanippus, a descendant of one of the warriors who grew from the teeth of the serpent killed by Cadmus. Eteocles sent Polyphont against Capaneus, who was defended by Artemis herself. Creon's son Megareus stood with a detachment at the gate, which was to be attacked by Protida Eteocles; Oinor's son Hyperbius was sent against Hippomedont, against Parthenopaeus - the hero Actor, and against Amphiaraus - Leisthenes, a youth in strength and an old man in intelligence. Among the Theban heroes was the mighty son of Poseidon, the invincible Periclymenes.
Before the battle began, Eteocles asked the soothsayer Tiresias about the outcome of the battle. Tiresias promised victory only if Creon's son Menoikeus was sacrificed to Ares (who was still angry over Cadmus' murder of the serpent dedicated to him). The young man Menoike, having learned about this prophecy, climbed the wall of Thebes and, standing opposite the cave where the serpent dedicated to Ares once lived, pierced his chest with a sword. Thus died the son of Creon; He voluntarily sacrificed himself to save his native Thebes.
Everything promised victory for the Thebans. The angry Ares is appeased, the gods are on the side of the Thebans, who observe the will and signs of the gods. But the Thebans did not immediately achieve victory. When, leaving the protection of the walls, they entered into battle with the Argive army at the sanctuary of Apollo, they had to retreat under the onslaught of enemies and again take refuge behind the walls. The Argives rushed to pursue the retreating Thebans and began to storm the walls. The arrogant Capaneus, proud of his superhuman strength, placed the ladder against the wall and was about to burst into the city, but Zeus did not tolerate anyone entering Thebes against his will. He threw his sparkling lightning at Capaneus, when he was already standing on the wall. Zeus struck Capaneus to death; he was completely engulfed in fire, and his smoking corpse fell from the wall at the feet of the Argives standing below.
Young Parthenopaus also fell while besieging Thebes; the mighty Periclymenes threw a huge stone the size of a rock from the wall onto his head. This stone crushed Parthenope's head, and he fell dead to the ground.
The Argives retreated from the walls - they were convinced that they could not take Thebes by storm. Now the Thebans could rejoice: the walls of Thebes stood unshakable.
The enemies then decided that the brothers Polynices and Eteocles should decide by single combat which of them would have power over Thebes. The sons of Oedipus prepared for the duel. Eteocles came out of the gates of Thebes, shining with weapons; Polyneices came out of the Argive camp to meet him. Now the fratricidal battle was about to begin. The brothers burned with hatred for each other. One of them was bound to fall. But the great, inexorable goddesses of fate Moira promised something else. The Eumenides did not forget the curses of Oedipus, nor did they forget the crimes of Laius or the curses of Pelops.
Like two furious lions fighting over prey, so the brothers collided in a fierce fight. Covered with shields, they fight, vigilantly watching each other's movements with eyes full of hatred. Eteocles retreated and immediately threw Polynices’ spear at his brother and wounded him in the thigh. Blood flowed from the wound, but upon impact Polynices opened his shoulder, and Eteocles immediately struck him in the shoulder with a spear. The spear bent, hitting Polynices' armor, and its shaft broke. Eteocles was left with one sword. He quickly bent down, picked up a huge stone and threw it at his brother; the stone hit Polyneices' spear and broke it. Now both brothers were left with only swords. Having closed their shields, the brothers fight; both of them were wounded, blood stained their armor. Eteocles quickly took a step back; Polyneices did not expect this, raised his shield, and at that moment his brother thrust a sword into his stomach. Polyneices fell to the ground, blood gushed like a river from a terrible wound, his eyes were clouded with the darkness of death. Eteocles triumphed in victory; he ran up to the brother he had killed and wanted to take off his armor. Polynices gathered his last strength, stood up and struck his brother in the chest with his sword; with this blow his soul flew off to the dark kingdom of Hades. Like a felled oak tree, Eteocles fell dead on the corpse of his brother, and their blood mixed, staining the earth all around. The Thebans and Argives looked with horror at the terrible outcome of the brothers' duel.
The truce between the besieged and the besieged did not last long. A bloody battle broke out between them again. In this battle, the gods patronized the Thebans. Hippomedont fell and Eteocles passed, the invincible Tydeus was wounded to death by the mighty Melanippus. Although Tydeus was mortally wounded, he still found the strength to take revenge on Melanippus and defeat him with a spear. Seeing Tydeus dying, covered in blood, Pallas Athena begged Zeus to allow her to save her pet and even grant him immortality. Athena hurried to Tydeus. But at this time Amphiaraus cut off the head of Melanippus and threw it to the dying Tydeus. In a mad rage, Tydeus grabbed her, smashed her skull, and, like a wild beast, began to drink the brain of his enemy. Athena shuddered when she saw the rage and bloodthirstiness of Tydeus; she left him, and the dying Tydeus only managed to whisper after Athena his last prayer - to grant his son, Diomedes, the immortality that he himself did not receive.
The Thebans defeated the Argives, and their entire army was killed near Thebes. Amphiaraus also died. He fled in a hurry to escape on his chariot, driven by Baton. He was pursued by the mighty Periclymenes. Periclymenes was already overtaking the great soothsayer, he had already swung his spear to hit him, when suddenly the lightning of Zeus flashed and thunder struck, the earth parted and swallowed Amphiaraus with his war chariot. Of all the heroes, only Adrastus was saved. He rushed off on his horse Areion, as fast as the wind, and took refuge in Athens, from where he returned to Argos.
The Thebans rejoiced, Thebes was saved. They gave a solemn burial to their fallen heroes, but they left the heroes and all the warriors who came from Argos with Polyneices without burial. Polyneices, who had raised his hand against his homeland, also lay unburied on the battlefield.
They learned that the heroes of Argos, their wives and mothers remained unburied. Full of sadness, they came with Adrastus to Attica to beg King Theseus to help their grief and force the Thebans to give them the bodies of the dead. In Eleusis, at the temple of Demeter, they met Theseus’s mother and begged her to beg her son to demand the release of the bodies of the Argive warriors. Theseus hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to help the Argive women and Adrastus. Just at this time an ambassador came from the king of Thebes, Creon. He demanded that Theseus not provide assistance to the women of Argos and expelled Adrastus from Attica.
Theseus was angry. How dare Creon demand his submission? Isn't he in control of his own decisions? Theseus marched with an army against Thebes, defeated the Thebans and forced them to hand over the corpses of all their fallen soldiers. Eleuther had seven fires built, and the corpses of the soldiers were burned on them. The corpses of the leaders were transferred to Eleusis and burned there, and the ashes of their mother and wife were taken to their homeland, to Argos.
Only the ashes of Capaneus, killed by the lightning of Zeus, remained in Eleusis. The corpse of Capaneus was sacred, since he was killed by the Thunderer himself. The Athenians built a huge fire and placed Capaneus' corpse on it. When the fire was already beginning to flare up and the tongues of fire were already touching the corpse of the hero, the wife of Capaneus, the beautiful daughter of Iphitus, Evadne, came to Eleusis. She could not bear the death of her beloved husband. Having put on luxurious funeral clothes, she climbed onto a rock that hung right above the fire, and threw herself from there into the flames.
Thus Evadne died, and her shadow descended along with the shadow of her husband into the dark kingdom of Hades.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru