CHAP. XXVIII.

OF EDIPUS KING OF THEBES, AND HIS POSTERITY.

Birth of Edipus.-He is Exposed on the Mountains.— Adopted by the King of Corinth.--Kills his Father in a Broil.-Explains the Riddle of the Sphinx.Marries his Mother.-Tiresias, the Blind Prophet.Edipus tears out his own Eyes.-Eteocles succeeds. -War, Seven Chiefs against Thebes.--Single Combat of Eteocles and Polynices: both are killed.--The Flames of their Funeral Pile Divide.-Second Siege of Thebes by the Epigoni.-Thebes is Taken.

THE story of the Argonautic expedition, whatever may be the true meaning of so mysterious a riddle, may be supposed to be the story of some beneficent adventure: the remaining stories of the heroic ages, the sieges of Thebes and Troy, are undoubtedly stories of calamity.

Laius king of Thebes was the great-grandson of Cadmus he married Jocasta, the daughter of Creon an eminent Theban, and was assured by an oracle that he should lose his life by a son who was to be born of that marriage: to prevent this he gave Edipus, his child, as soon as he was born, to one of his domestics, to be exposed on the mountains to perish; the domestic bored a hole in each foot of the infant, and passing a string through, hanged him up on a tree, and left him from this circumstance he afterward obtained the name of Edipus, "swelled feet "."

:

Eur. Phon. 1 et seqq. Soph. Ed. Tyr. civ. 6.

260

CEDIPUS EXPOSED.

In this terrible situation the poor child was found by one of the shepherds of Poly bus king of Corinth, who carried it home to his master: Polybus had no children: the infant was exceedingly beautiful: and Polybus bred the little Edipus as his own son: one day, Edipus being now grown to a young man, one of his youthful companions brutally insulted him, told him that he was no son of the king and queen of Corinth, and that no true Corinthian would bear to be dictated to by a base-born brat.

Edipus closely questioned king Polybus on the subject, but could obtain no satisfactory reply: afflicted with this uncertainty, he repaired to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, but received no other answer than the advice never to go home, if he did not wish to kill his father: a cruel advice, since dipus knew not how to make the right use of it: his mind revolted from all immorality, but most from that with which he was threatened: he resolved never again to set foot in Corinth: he turned the direction of his chariot toward Thebes: he met Laius travelling privately in an obscure road: Laius or his companions called out in a rude manner to him to make way, and retire : the pride of Edipus was roused: a scuffle ensued and thus Edipus slew his father in the very attempt to avoid that crime".

I believe the reason Edipus had bent his steps toward Thebes, was that he had heard of Sphinx, a monster whoinfested the border of Boeotia, sprung from the marriage of Orthus and Echidna, with the head and breasts of a woman, the body of dog, the claws of a lion, the wings of a bird, and a human voice: this monster had stationed her

e Soph. Ed. Tyr. 784 et seqq.

a

SPHINX'S RIDDLE.

261

self by the road-side, where she stopped all travellers, and proposed a riddle to them, which if they did not solve they were devoured: the oracle on the other hand had declared, that if any one explained her riddle, the Sphinx would immediately kill herself for vexation: Edipus, who lived in an age when the destruction of monsters was the most admired of human achievements, was anxious to put an end to the Sphinx: and the Thebans, understanding that Laius was no more, offered their queen and the vacant throne to whoever should rid them of this monster.

Edipus presented himself fearlessly before the den of the Sphinx, and demanded to hear her riddle: "What creature is that," said the monster, "which goes in the morning upon four legs, at noon upon two, and at night upon three ?" "It is a man," replied Edipus: " by morning, noon and night you mean the three great changes to which human nature is subject: the imbecility of infancy, when we crawl on all fours; the vigour of manhood, when we require no support but the two natural pillars with which our maker has furnished us; and the decrepitude of age, when we are fain to call in the assistance of a walkingstick the Sphinx had no sooner heard the answer of the wise Edipus, than she threw herself from a rock, on which she had sat listening to him, and from which she meditated to dart upon him in case of his failure, and was dashed to pieces.

Edipus now ascended the Theban throne, married Jocasta, and had by her two sons, Eteocles and Polynices: some years after, Thebes was in

Argument. ad Phoeniss.

262 CALAMITOUS FORTUNE OF EDIPUS.

fested with a terrible plague, and an oracle having been consulted on the subject, gave for answer, that it would never be well with Thebes, till the murderer of king Laius was banished from his territories: the death of Laius had happened at a time of so great calamity that the particulars had never been enquired into: after a long search it was proved to the astonishment of all, that Edipus was the murderer of Laius, and that in so doing he had killed his father: the person by whom he was exposed when an infant, and the person by whom he had been found, concurred in proving his identity: and at length the whole was confirmed by the venerable Tiresias, whom the Gods had deprived of sight, but had made up this calamity to him by endowing him with the gift of prophecy, and the knowledge of all hidden things: the tender and honest heart of Edipus was struck with despair at this discovery: he tore out his eyes, and, retiring to Colone on the borders of Athens, was indebted for his existence ever after to the kind care of his daughter Antigones.

Eteocles and Polynices, the sons of Edipus, succeeded to the vacant authority: and, as they were both ambitious and impatient of a superior, they agreed to reign in turns, each his year; a strange engagement, which they could scarcely expect to have fulfilled: Eteocles, as the elder, reigned first; but at the end of the year refused to give up the kingdom.

Polynices fled to Adrastus king of Argos, one of the most powerful monarchs of his time: and such were the prepossessing manners of the youth, that he easily prevailed upon Adrastus to embrace his

Soph. Œd. Tyr. et Col.

SEVEN CHIEFS AGAINST THEBES. 263

cause: a marriage first took place between the exiled prince and the daughter of Adrastus, and they then marched together against Thebes.

This is the first siege of Thebes, memorable for the obstinacy with which it was it carried on and the calamities that attended it: Adrastus divided his army into seven bodies, and planted them with seven approved commanders at their head before the seven gates of Thebes: he himself commanded one; Polynices another: the names of the other chiefs were Tydeus, Capaneus, Amphia raus, Parthenopous and Hippomedon: after a great deal of fighting it was agreed that Eteocles. and Polynices should meet together in single com bat.

Never did two human beings hate each other more mortally than Eteocles and Polynices: they fought with such deadly resolution, that the combat did not end till both were killed: the fashion of these times was for the dead body of a person of rank to be burned on the funeral pile: as Eteocles and Polynices were brothers, and died in the same hour, both parties agreed to place their bodies upon the same funeral pile: when, lo, a miracle ensued! the flames which proceeded from these bitter foes divided in two, and even the sparkles and ashes which flew up from one of their bodies refused to have communication with those of the otheri.

The death of these rival candidates did not put an end to the siege: Eteocles left a son named Laodamas, and Polynices another named Thersander; and the besieged and the besiegers set up the op

Eschyli Sept. ap. Theb. Eur. Phon.

i Stat. Thebais. 429. Ov. Trist. lib. v. 35.