in an open
space before the gates; and first Polynices prayed to Here, for she was
the goddess of the great city of Argos, which had helped him in this
enterprise, and Eteocles prayed to Pallas of the Golden Shield, whose
temple stood hard by. Then they crouched, each covered with his shield,
and holding his spear in his hand, if by chance his enemy should give
occasion to smite him; and if one showed so much as an eye above the rim
of his shield the other would strike at him. But after a while King
Eteocles slipped upon a stone that was under his foot, and uncovered his
leg, at which straightway Polynices took aim with his spear, piercing
the skin. And the men of Argos shouted to see it. But so doing he laid
his own shoulder bare, and King Eteocles gave him a wound in the breast;
and then the men of Thebes shouted for joy. But he brake his spear in
striking, and would have fared ill but that with a great stone he smote
the spear of Polynices, and brake this also in the middle. And now were
the two equal, for each had lost his spear. So they drew their swords
and came yet closer together. But Eteocles used a device which he had
learnt in the land of Thessaly; for he drew his left foot back, as if he
would have ceased from the battle, and then of a sudden moved the right
forward; and so smiting sideways, drave his sword right through the
body of Polynices. But when thinking that he had slain him he set his
weapons in the earth, and began to spoil him of his arms, the other, for
he yet breathed a little, laid his hand upon his sword, and though he
had scarce strength to smite, yet gave the King a mortal blow, so that
the two lay dead together on the plain. And the men of Thebes lifted up
the bodies of the dead, and bare them both into the city.

[Illustration: THE DEAD BROTHERS.]

So was the doom of the house of Oedipus accomplished; and yet not all,
as shall be told in the story of Antigone, who was the sister of these
two.

THE STORY OF ANTIGONE.

When the two brothers, the sons of King Oedipus, had fallen each by
the hand of the other, the kingdom fell to Creon their uncle. For not
only was he the next of kin to the dead, but also the people held him in
great honour because his son Menoeceus had offered himself with a
willing heart that he might deliver his city from captivity. Now when
Creon was come to the throne, he made a proclamation about the two
Princes, commanding that they should bury Eteocles with