. And I think that he will not come near to the
gates, so well knoweth he what shall befall him. Yet have I set
Lasthenes to stand against him, young in years but old in counsel, very
keen of eye, and swift of hand to cast his javelin from under his
shield."

"And now, O King! hear how thy brother beareth himself, for he it is who
standeth yonder at the seventh gate. For he crieth aloud that he will
climb upon the wall and slay thee, even though he die with thee, or
drive thee forth into banishment, even as thou, he saith, hast driven
him. And on his shield there is this device: a woman leading an armed
man, and while she leadeth him, she saith, 'I AM JUSTICE, AND I WILL
BRING BACK THIS MAN TO THE KINGDOM WHICH IS HIS OF RIGHT.'"

But when the King heard this he brake forth in much fury, "Now will the
curse of this house be fulfilled to the uttermost. Yet must I not bewail
myself, lest there should fall upon us an evil that is yet greater than
this. And as for this Polynices, thinketh he that signs and devices will
give him that which he coveteth? Thinketh he that Justice is on his
side? Nay, but from the day that he came forth from the womb he hath had
no converse with her, neither will she stand by him this day. I will
fight against him. Who more fit than I? Bring forth my armour that I may
make ready."

And though the maidens entreated with many words that he would not do
this thing, but leave the place to some other of the chiefs, saying that
there was no healing or remedy for a brother's blood shed in such
fashion, he would not hearken, but armed himself and went forth to the
battle. Thus ever doth the madness of men work out to the full the
curses of the Gods.

Then the battle grew fierce about the wall, and the men of Thebes
prevailed. For when Parthenopaeus, the Arcadian, fell like a whirlwind
upon the gate that was over against him, Actor the Theban smote him on
the head with a great stone, and brake his head, so that he fell dead
upon the ground. And when Capaneus assaulted the city, crying that not
even the Gods should stay him, there came upon him the wrath which he
defied; for when he had mounted the ladder and was now about to leap
upon the battlements, Zeus smote him with the thunderbolt, and there was
no life left in him, so fierce was the burning heat of the lightning.
But the chiefest fight was between the two brothers; and this, indeed,
the two armies stood apart to see. For the two came together