Extract

Myth and play by *Aeschylus. Oedipus' curse upon his sons *Eteocles (‘True Glory’) and Polynices (‘Much Strife’) results in their dispute over the throne of Thebes and in Polynices calling upon his father-in-law *Adrastus (1), King of *Argos (1), and five other heroes (in the epic, *Tydeus, Capaneus, *Parthenopaeus, Mecisteus, and the seer *Amphiaraus). These seven heroes fight at, and match, the mythical seven gates of *Thebes (1) (details in e.g. Apollod. Bibl. 3. 6). In particular, Zeus strikes Capaneus with a lightning-bolt, the two brothers slaughter each other, the seer Amphiaraus (who joins the expedition through the treachery of his wife Eriphyle) is swallowed up by the earth, and Tydeus is denied immortality when Athene finds him devouring the brains of *Melanippus.This failed expedition was recounted in three epic Thebaids (1) around 700/600 bce, in c.