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Q83MYTH Greek Mythology: lecture 5
The Theban Cycle 2
Seven against Thebes
[Homer] Thebaid
Oedipus curses his sons because Polynices serves him from Laius’ cup, or because
they failed to send him his portion of a sacrifice...Adrastus, Tydeus and Amphiaraus
mentioned as among Seven...Amphiaraus & Adrastus quarrelled, but eventually
reconciled with Am marrying Eriphyle, so if dispute arose again, she would
arbitrate...Tydeus is wounded by Melanippus. Amphiaraus brings Tydeus his head,
and he eats the brain. Athena was bringing him immortality but turned away in
horror. T begged her to at least immortalise his son...Periclymenus slew
Parthenopaeus...Adrastus is saved by his divine horse Arion.
Aeschylus Seven Against Thebes (467BC)
Teiresias has warned of an attack in the night, so Eteocles rallies the Thebans just as
the Argives move out. The Seven are: Tydeus, Capaneus, Eteoclus, Hippomedon,
Parthenopaeus, Amphiaraus, and Polynices. A Theban champion goes to meet each.
E and P are cursed by Oedipus to kill one another, in retribution for their grudging
him at place at home. The rest of the Argives are routed. Antigone and Ismene
mourn their brothers, and a herald announces that E may be interred, but P is to be
thrown out unburied. A states that she will bury P, and the Chorus divide, one with
each sister to bury each brother.
Euripides Phoenissae (409BC)
Jocasta and Oedipus are still alive, and their sons have imprisoned their blinded
father. Seeking to avoid his curse that they would kill one another, they agreed to
divide rule between them, but Eteocles refused to relinquish it, so Polynices went
into exile and returned with an Argive army: Hippomedon, Tydeus, Parthenopaeus,
Adrastus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, and himself. Now the army is at the gates, and
Jocasta summons her sons to a peace-talk. But they quarrel and separate: E stations a
Theban champion on each gate. Creon sends for Teiresias, who prophesies that he
must sacrifice his son, Menoeceus, to save the city. C refuses, but M kills himself. The
Argives are routed, the brothers fight in single combat and kill each other, and
Jocasta commits suicide. C exiles O and forbids the burial of Polynices; Antigone
promises to bury her brother (though C threatens her with death), refuses marriage
to C’s son Haemon, and goes into exile with O, who is prophesied to travel to
Athens and die at Colonus.
Burial of the Seven
Sophocles Antigone (442-41BC?)
The Argives have withdrawn in the night, and Creon has ordered the burial of
Eteocles, but that Polynices be left unburied. Antigone determines to bury him;
Ismene refuses to help. A succeeds, but C orders it undone. She is caught on the
second attempt and states that it is the law of the gods to bury the dead. C orders her
and I executed. Haemon, A’s fiancé, attempts to persuade him, succeeds in
mitigating I’s sentence, but not A’s – the men quarrel and H threatens to die with his
betrothed. She is taken out to be entombed alive. Teiresias prophesies that the gods
want P buried, and H will die in retribution for C’s edicts if not. C goes to bury P,
but is too late to release A, who has hung herself, and H, who slays himself in her
tomb. His wife commits suicide, cursing him for the death of her sons.
Euripides Suppliants (c.421BC?)
The mothers and sons of the Seven, with Adrastus, supplicate at Eleusis for the
burial of the Argives. They ask Aethra to persuade her son Theseus to recover the
bodies. Eventually he agrees, but a messenger arrives from Thebes ordering him to
refuse the supplication. He will not be swayed by tyranny, and leads a force against
the city. Th wins and recovers the corpses of Capaneus, Eteoclus, Hippomedon,
Parthenopaeus, and Tydeus, over whom Ad performs a funeral speech. Capaneus’
widow, Evadne, commits suicide on his funeral pyre. The ashes are given to the
sons, and Athena appears deus ex machina: she orders an Argive/Athenian alliance
and that the Epigonoi avenge their fathers when they grow up.
The Epigonoi
[Homer?] Epigonoi
Teiresias’ daughter Manto is sent to Delphi by the Epigonoi as part of the spoils.