The Brothers' Quarrel

The misfortunes of Thebes did not end with the banishment of Oedipus. Fate was still against the unhappy city. The plague had stopped, but the two young princes were quarreling over the throne.

Both wanted to rule, and neither wished to share the throne with his brother. After much dispute, they agreed at last that each should reign for one year in turn.

Eteocles, the elder, was allowed to rule during the first year. Meanwhile, Polynices went to visit Adrastus, king of Argos. He was warmly welcomed and entertained. But when the year ended, he hurried back to Thebes to reign in his turn.

When he reached the city, however, Eteocles refused to give up the scepter. He called out his guards and used his power to drive Polynices out of town. This was very wrong, for a promise should always be kept. It made Polynices so angry that he vowed to return with an army and force his brother to act fairly.

Polynices hurried back to Argos and soon persuaded Adrastus and five other kings and noted warriors to go with him to Thebes and help him take the throne by force.

When Eteocles heard that seven kings were coming with a large army to make him give up the throne, he decided to fight hard to keep it. He strengthened the city walls, stocked up on provisions, and secured the help of seven brave allies. Then he closed the gates of Thebes and calmly awaited the enemy.

Meanwhile, the seven chiefs marched from Argos to Thebes. They came at last to the forest of Nemea, where Hercules, the chief hero of Argos, had once killed a terrible lion. This monster had long lived in the forest, filling all the people with dread. When Hercules came out of the forest wearing the skin of the lion, they had greatly rejoiced.

In honor of Hercules' victory over the Nemean lion, the seven chiefs stopped at that spot to celebrate games, which they said should be held every three years. This festival was ever after celebrated. When the people gathered for racing and boxing, they loved to recall the memory of the brave lion slayer and of the seven kings who had first held the Nemean games.

When Polynices and his allies finally reached Thebes, they found all the gates closed. Although they fought bravely and tried hard to enter the city, they were kept at bay for seven long years. At the end of that time, the people inside and outside were equally tired of the long siege. So it was agreed that the two armies should meet on a neighboring plain and fight it out.

The armies were led by the two brothers, who now hated each other so bitterly that instead of waiting for the signal to battle, they rushed at each other and both fell before anyone could intervene.

This terrible end to their quarrel filled both armies with fear, and they agreed to a truce in order to bury their chiefs. As was customary, the bodies were burned on funeral pyres. Both corpses were laid on the pyre side by side. When the wood was burned, the ashes were put into separate urns. The Greeks used to tell their children that these brothers hated each other so much that even their ashes would not mingle.

This story of Oedipus and his family is only a myth, but it is very famous. The Greeks wrote stories, poems, and plays about it. For that reason, it should be known by everyone who wishes to study the history of Greece.