Seven Against Thebes: The Epic Siege That Shook Greek Mythology
The saga of the Seven Against Thebes stands as one of the most profound and tragic episodes in all of Greek mythology. More than just a tale of a city under siege, it is a timeless story of fraternal hatred, cursed lineage, and the devastating consequences of defying the gods. This epic conflict, immortalized by the playwright Aeschylus, pits brother against brother in a bloody struggle for the throne of Thebes, drawing in legendary heroes from across Greece and sealing the doom of a royal house. The story serves as the dramatic culmination of the curse laid upon the family of Oedipus, a curse that promised to bring about its utter destruction through fire and blood.
The Cursed Lineage: Oedipus and the Roots of the Conflict
To understand the war of the Seven Against Thebes, one must first understand the curse that spawned it. The tragedy begins with Oedipus, the fated king who unknowingly killed his father, Laius, and married his mother, Jocasta. Upon discovering the horrifying truth, Oedipus blinded himself and was exiled from Thebes, leaving the city in a state of turmoil. Before his departure, he laid a terrible curse upon his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, proclaiming that they would divide their inheritance by the sword. This paternal curse hangs over the entire narrative, driving the brothers toward their inevitable, mutual destruction.
After Oedipus’s exile, his sons agreed to share the rule of Thebes, alternating the throne year by year. Eteocles, the elder, took the first turn. However, when his year concluded, he refused to relinquish power to Polynices. Blinded by greed and the allure of kingship, Eteocles broke the pact, branding his brother a traitor and forcing him into exile. This single act of betrayal set the stage for one of the most famous sieges in mythological history.
Polynices in Exile: Gathering the Argive Champions
Humiliated and enraged, Polynices fled to the city of Argos. There, he found an ally in King Adrastus. The king, remembering a prophecy that he should marry his daughters to a boar and a lion, saw these symbols on the shields of Polynices and another exile, Tydeus of Calydon. He promptly married his daughters to them and vowed to restore both to their respective thrones, beginning with Polynices in Thebes.
Thus began the mustering of a great army. Adrastus summoned the most fearsome warriors in Greece, who would become known as the Argive champions. This elite group was composed of seven heroes, each destined to lead an assault on one of the seven gates of Thebes. The army itself was massive, but these seven leaders were the heart of the invasion force.
The Seven Argive Champions and Their Theban Counterparts
The following table details the seven legendary attackers and the Theban defenders chosen by Eteocles to face them at each gate. This pairing was a central element of the myth, often seen as a divinely orchestrated death match.
| The Seven Gates of Thebes | Argive Attacker (Champion) | Theban Defender | Outcome of the Duel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proetid Gate | Tydeus | Melanippus | Both mortally wounded. Tydeus was denied immortality by Athena. |
| Electran Gate | Capaneus | Polyphontes | Capaneus was struck down by Zeus’s lightning for his hubris. |
| Neistan Gate | Eteoclus | Megareus | Both were killed in the fierce fighting. |
| Gate of Athena Onca | Hippomedon | Hyperbius | Hippomedon was slain by a multitude of Thebans. |
| Borraean Gate | Parthenopaeus | Actor | Parthenopaeus was killed by a stone thrown from the walls. |
| Homoloid Gate | Amphiaraus | Lasthenes | Amphiaraus was swallowed by the earth, a fate granted by Zeus. |
| The Seventh Gate | Polynices | Eteocles | The brothers killed each other, fulfilling their father’s curse. |
The Siege Begins: Omens, Prophecies, and the Fury of Tydeus
Before the first spear was thrown, the seer Amphiaraus, one of the Argive champions, prophesied that the expedition was doomed and that all the leaders except for Adrastus would perish. He knew he was riding to his death but was bound by honor to accompany Tydeus, his sworn brother. The army marched on Thebes, and Eteocles, upon hearing of their approach, prepared the city’s defenses and consulted the blind prophet Tiresias for guidance.
The initial skirmishes were brutal. Tydeus, known for his ferocity, was sent ahead as an ambassador but was ambushed by fifty Thebans. In a display of incredible prowess, he killed all but one of them, establishing a fearsome reputation. This act only hardened the resolve on both sides. The Thebans refused to yield, and the Argives prepared for a full-scale assault.
The Assault on the Seven Gates
The climactic battle saw each of the Seven Against Thebes lead a contingent against a specific gate. The fighting was chaotic and heroic, with the fates of the champions unfolding as a grim testament to hubris, fate, and divine will.
- Tydeus at the Proetid Gate: A formidable warrior, Tydeus was mortally wounded by Melanippus but, with his last breath, killed his opponent. The goddess Athena, intending to grant Tydeus immortality, brought a magical elixir. However, the seer Amphiaraus, who hated Tydeus, convinced the dying Melanippus to behead him and gave the head to Tydeus. In a fit of madness, Tydeus devoured the brain of his foe. Horrified by this savagery, Athena withdrew her gift, and Tydeus died.
- Capaneus at the Electran Gate: Capaneus was the epitome of hubris. He boasted that not even Zeus could stop him from scaling the walls of Thebes. As he climbed his ladder, he screamed his defiance at the gods. In response, Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt, killing him instantly and scattering the Argive forces at that gate.
- Amphiaraus at the Homoloid Gate: The noble seer, knowing his fate, fought bravely. As he was pursued by Periclymenus, Zeus threw a thunderbolt that split the earth open. Amphiaraus, his chariot, and his charioteer were swallowed whole, granting him a unique, chthonic form of immortality as a living prophet in the underworld.
The Climax: Brother Against Brother
The most tragic confrontation was reserved for the seventh gate. Here, the curse of Oedipus reached its horrifying conclusion. Eteocles and Polynices, the two sons who were meant to rule together, faced each other in single combat. The duel was fierce and evenly matched, a reflection of their shared blood and mirrored hatred. In the end, they simultaneously ran each other through with their spears. Each brother achieved his goal—Eteocles kept his throne, and Polynices struck down the brother who wronged him—but at the ultimate cost. With their deaths, the direct male line of the cursed house of Laius was extinguished, and the primary objective of the Argive army died with them.
The Aftermath: Victory for Thebes, Grief for All
With the death of the Argive champions and the failure of the assault, the Thebans were victorious. Creon, the brother of Jocasta, became the regent of Thebes. His first decree was a controversial and deeply consequential one: he ordered that the fallen Theban soldiers be buried with full honors, but the bodies of the attackers, particularly that of Polynices, were to be left unburied to rot and be eaten by animals. In Greek religion, this was the ultimate dishonor, as it condemned the soul to wander the banks of the River Styx for eternity, unable to find peace.
This decree set the stage for the next great tragedy: the story of Antigone. Sister to Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone defied Creon’s order and performed burial rites for Polynices. For this act of familial piety and civil disobedience, Creon sentenced her to be entombed alive, leading to a chain reaction of suicides that left Creon utterly broken. The curse of the house of Oedipus had claimed yet more victims.
The Legacy of the Seven in Art and Literature
The myth of the Seven Against Thebes has resonated for millennia. Its primary source is Aeschylus’s tragedy Seven Against Thebes, which focuses intensely on the build-up to the battle and the pairing of the champions. The story is also a crucial part of the larger Theban Cycle, which includes the stories of Oedipus and Antigone. Later, the Roman poet Statius wrote an epic, the Thebaid, which greatly expanded on the myth. The themes of the story—fate versus free will, the sins of the father, civil war, and the proper treatment of the dead—remain powerfully relevant. For a deeper dive into the primary sources, you can explore the Theoi Project’s translation of Aeschylus’s play.
The influence of this epic extends to modern interpretations. The concept of a team of heroes banding together for a single, monumental task is a narrative archetype seen everywhere from modern fantasy literature to superhero team-ups in comics and film. The tragic, doomed nature of the expedition and the complex motivations of its characters provide a rich template for storytelling. To understand its place in the wider context of Greek epic, the Encyclopedia Britannica offers a comprehensive overview.
Key Themes of the Myth
- The Inevitability of Fate: The curse of Oedipus drives the entire narrative, demonstrating the inescapable nature of a divine pronouncement.
- Hubris and Divine Retribution: The fate of Capaneus serves as a classic warning against overweening pride and challenging the gods.
- Fraternal Conflict (Stasis): The war between Eteocles and Polynices is the ultimate representation of civil war, a theme the Greeks feared above all else.
- Duty vs. Family: This theme is fully explored in the aftermath of the siege, particularly in the conflict between Antigone and Creon.
For those interested in the archaeological and historical context of the city that inspired this legend, the World History Encyclopedia provides excellent resources on ancient Thebes.
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The Legacy of the Seven’s Armor
Following the mutual fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices, the Theban victory was secured, yet the city was left to grapple with the immense cost. The aftermath saw a complex and symbolically charged process unfold: the treatment of the fallen Argive champions. Their magnificent armor, crafted by the gods and representing the pinnacle of martial artistry, became a subject of both reverence and ritual. The Thebans, in accordance with the customs of the time, stripped the slain attackers of their arms and armor. This was not merely an act of plunder but a sacred rite, a tangible transfer of glory from the vanquished to the victor. The spoils were dedicated to the gods, particularly to Apollo Ismenios, the local patron deity, as a gesture of immense gratitude for the city’s deliverance. The dedication of this heroic panoply served as a permanent, physical monument to Theban resilience, a stark reminder of the siege that nearly broke the city.
The Fate of the Fallen Champions
While the bodies of the six other champions were ultimately returned to the Argives for burial under a fragile truce, the treatment of Polynices’ corpse became the immediate catalyst for the next great tragedy. His body was left to rot outside the walls, a deliberate act of posthumous punishment for betraying his homeland. This sacrilegious denial of burial rites, decreed by the new ruler Creon, directly contravened divine law and set the stage for Antigone’s legendary act of defiance. The armor of the Seven, however, remained in Thebes, its fate intertwined with the city’s own. Historical and poetic sources suggest that these relics were curated and displayed, perhaps in the temple of Apollo, becoming objects of pilgrimage and awe for generations. They were not just trophies; they were believed to hold a portion of the hero’s arete (excellence) and kleos (glory), their power now harnessed to protect the city they had failed to conquer.
The Epigoni: Vengeance of the Next Generation
The story of the Seven did not conclude with their defeat. The oath sworn by their sons, known as the Epigoni (the “Descendants”), ensured that the conflict would echo through the generations. Ten years after their fathers’ disastrous campaign, these young princes, driven by filial duty and a thirst for vengeance, raised a new army to march against Thebes. This second expedition stood in stark contrast to the first, marked by better omens and a more unified command. The leaders included Aegialeus, son of Adrastus (the sole survivor of the first war), Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, sons of Amphiaraus, Diomedes, son of Tydeus, Sthenelus, son of Capaneus, Thersander, son of Polynices, and Euryalus, son of Mecisteus. The presence of Diomedes, who would later become one of the greatest Achaean heroes at Troy, signified the immense martial potential of this new generation.
The Thebans, forewarned by prophecies, understood their city’s fate was sealed. A fierce battle was fought, and while the Thebans initially held their ground, their king, Laodamas, son of Eteocles, was slain by Alcmaeon. With their leader fallen and the walls breached, the Theban resolve broke. Following the counsel of the seer Teiresias, they abandoned their city under the cover of night, fleeing north to found a new settlement in Thessaly. The Epigoni thus achieved what their fathers could not, sacking Thebes and fulfilling the curse that had hung over the city since the time of Oedipus. This victory, however, was not without its price, as Aegialeus was killed, making his father Adrastus the only man to survive both wars against Thebes, only to die of grief upon his return to Argos.
Comparative Table: The Seven vs. The Epigoni
| Aspect | The Seven (First War) | The Epigoni (Second War) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Motivation | Polynices’ claim to the throne; personal ambition | Filial duty and vengeance for their fathers’ deaths |
| Divine Support | Mixed and ultimately unfavorable; clear signs of divine disfavor | Generally favorable; better omens and oracular guidance |
| Outcome | Decisive Theban victory; all attackers except Adrastus killed | Decisive Argive victory; Thebes is sacked and abandoned |
| Long-term Impact | Solidified Theban power temporarily; set stage for internal conflict (Antigone) | Erased Thebes as a major power for a generation; demonstrated the fulfillment of a generational curse |
Theban Kingship and Political Aftermath
In the wake of the dual brothers’ deaths, the throne of Thebes fell to Creon, their maternal uncle. His reign began with an immediate and severe political crisis. His first edict, declaring Polynices a traitor and forbidding his burial, was a calculated political move designed to solidify his authority and draw a definitive line between loyal citizen and enemy. By framing the decree as an act of state security, Creon sought to establish a new civic identity for Thebes, one built on absolute loyalty to the state above all else, even familial and divine obligations. This tyrannical legislation was meant to unify the traumatized city against a common, albeit dead, enemy. However, it immediately created a new, internal conflict, pitting the dictates of man-made law against the unwritten, eternal laws of the gods, a conflict personified by his niece, Antigone.
The power vacuum and subsequent moral crisis exposed the fragility of the Theban political system. The kingship, already cursed through the Labdacid line, became a position fraught with peril. Creon’s inability to navigate the competing demands of state, family, and religion resulted in the tragic deaths of his son Haemon and his wife Eurydice, leaving him a broken ruler and the throne vulnerable. This period illustrates a critical theme in Greek thought: the instability of autocratic power and the inevitable downfall that follows hubristic decisions. Thebes, having survived an external siege, now crumbled from within due to flawed leadership, a pattern that would repeat throughout its mythological history.
Military Innovations and Defensive Architecture
The successful defense of Thebes against the Seven was not solely a matter of heroic duels and divine intervention. The episode provides a fascinating glimpse into early Greek military strategy and fortification technology. The seven gates of Thebes—Homoloidan, Electran, Neistan, Proetidian, Ogygian, Hypsistan, and the Seventh Gate—were not merely poetic devices. They represented a sophisticated defensive system that forced an attacking army to divide its forces, preventing a concentrated assault on a single weak point. Each gate became a self-contained battlefield, allowing the defenders to leverage their knowledge of the urban terrain and create killing zones where the attackers’ numerical advantage was neutralized.
The assignment of a specific Theban champion to each gate was a masterstroke of psychological and tactical warfare. It matched the defender’s strengths and divine patronage against the specific threat posed by each Argive attacker. For instance, placing Megareus, known for his strength, at the Gate of Electra to face the formidable Eteoclus was a calculated decision. This system of specialized defense maximized the city’s chances at every critical point. Furthermore, the myth implies a level of military organization and command-and-control that allowed Eteocles to redeploy his best fighters dynamically in response to the seer’s revelations, a primitive but effective form of strategic reserve. The walls themselves, famously built by the twin brothers Amphion and Zethus with the power of music (Amphion’s lyre moved the stones into place), were legendary for their strength, representing the ideal of the impenetrable city in the Greek imagination. You can learn more about ancient Greek military tactics from reputable sources like the World History Encyclopedia.
Lessons in Early Greek Siege Warfare
The failed Argive siege highlights the limitations of offensive warfare in the heroic age. The tactics of the Seven relied overwhelmingly on individual prowess and a direct, head-on assault. They possessed no sophisticated siege engines like the later trebuchets or battering rams of the classical and Hellenistic periods. Instead, victory was expected to be won through the champions breaching the gates in personal combat, after which the army would pour in. This “heroic” mode of warfare made the defense of strong points like gates disproportionately advantageous. The story underscores that in this era, a well-fortified city with determined defenders and competent leadership could withstand the assault of even the most illustrious army. The subsequent success of the Epigoni a decade later may have involved a more prolonged or tactically diverse campaign, perhaps even a surprise assault or betrayal, as suggested in some fragments of the epic cycle, which you can explore through academic resources like Theoi Greek Mythology.
The Seven in Art and Ceramic Tradition
The dramatic and violent saga of the Seven against Thebes provided a rich source of imagery for Greek artists, particularly vase painters from the 6th to the 4th centuries BCE. Scenes from the myth were popular, serving both a decorative and a narrative function, bringing the epic struggle into the homes of wealthy Greeks. The duel between Eteocles and Polynices was a particularly favored motif, often depicted at the moment of their mutual slaying, a powerful visual representation of fraternal hatred and the futility of their conflict. Other common scenes included the fiery death of Capaneus, struck down by Zeus’s thunderbolt as he scaled the walls, and the fate of Amphiaraus, his chariot disappearing into the earth.
These artistic representations were not mere illustrations; they were interpretations that often emphasized specific thematic elements. For example, a red-figure krater might focus on the hubris of Capaneus, his body contorted as he falls from the wall, while a black-figure amphora could highlight the solemnity of the champions preparing for battle. The consistent depiction of these scenes helped to standardize the iconography of the myth across the Greek world. The armor and weapons were rendered with careful detail, reflecting contemporary hoplite equipment and thus making the ancient heroes relatable to a contemporary audience. The study of these artifacts provides invaluable insight into how the Greeks themselves visualized their myths and the values they associated with them. For a deeper dive into these artistic depictions, institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art offer extensive online collections.
Symbolism of the Seven Gates
Beyond their physical reality, the seven gates of Thebes accrued profound symbolic meaning in Greek literature and philosophy. They came to represent the concept of the impregnable citadel, both in a military and a spiritual sense. The number seven itself, significant in many ancient cultures, implied a sense of completeness and formidable challenge. To assail a seven-gated city was to undertake a near-impossible task. Later philosophers sometimes used the image allegorically, with the seven gates representing the seven senses or seven challenges of the soul that must be guarded against vice. This layering of literal and metaphorical meaning ensured the endurance of the “Seven-Gated Thebes” as a powerful cultural symbol long after the historical Thebes had faded from prominence, its mythic walls proving more durable than its physical ones.