Eteocles and Polyneices

Eteocles (Ἐτεοκλἣς) and Polyneices (Πολυνείκης) were the sons of Oedipus and Jocasta. They were brothers of Antigone and Ismene. As brothers, they were bitter rivals and enemies.

When Oedipus went into exile as a blind wanderer, Creon, Oedipus' uncle and brother-in-law, became regent while Eteocles and Polyneices were still too young to rule. It was decided that they would share the power, so each brother would rule in alternate years. Eteocles ruled first, but decided not to relinquish power to his brother when his first term ended. A bitter feud resulted between the two, which found Polyneices unsupported and in exile.

Polyneices fled to Argos, where he became suppliant to Adrastus, king of Argos. Adrastus agreed to restore Polyneices as king, and gave his daughter Argeia in marriage. Polyneices became the father of Thersander.

Amphiaraüs, brother-in-law of Adrastus, was an Argive seer who knew that seven Argive leaders would die in Thebes, so he was very reluctant to take part in the war. But Polyneices bribed Eripyle, Amphiaraüs' wife and the King's sister, with the cursed necklace of Harmonia. Amphiaraüs agreed to accept her judgement whenever he and Adrastus had a disagreement. So Amphiaraüs had no choice, when Eripyle sided with Adrastus and Polyneices.

While at Thebes, Eteocles prepared the defence of the city. In the meantime, Eteocles had a young son named Laodamas. Eteocles assigned a champion to each gate, and he was to defend the seventh gate. Oedipus had earlier cursed him and his brother, that they would kill one another in single combat, because they both were too selfish and ambitious to settle their differences peacefully. When Eteocles realised that Polyneices would fight at this very gate, he knew that his doom was approaching. Rather than avoid this fate and curse, Eteocles chose to confront it.

The two brothers fell to one another's sword. See Seven Against Thebes about the full tale of the war.

His uncle Creon (Κρέων) became regent, again, because Laodamas was too young to rule. Creon gave a splendid funeral to Eteocles, but regarding his other nephew who brought army to Thebes, his body was left to rot and to feed the vultures. A new tragedy would strike the family of Oedipus. Defying her uncle's harsh law, Antigone buried her brother. She was entombed alive. Creon's own son tried to save her, because Haemon was in love with Antigone. When Creon refused to listen to his son's pleas, Haemon killed himself. Eurydice cursed her husband for his stubborn and impious law, and hanged herself. See Antigone.