Chapter Thammuz to Thebaid of T by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Thebaid (The), a Latin epic poem in twelve books, by Statius (about a cent ury after Virgil). Laïos, king o f Thebes, was told by an oracle that he would have a son, but that his son would be his mu rderer. To prevent this , when the son was born he was hung on a tree by his feet, to be devoured by wild beasts. The child, however, was rescued by some of the royal servants, who brought him up, and called h is name Œdipos, or Club-foot, because his feet and ankles were swollen by the thongs. One day, going to Thebes, the chariot of Laïos nearly drove over the young Œdipos; a quarrel ensued, and Laïos was killed. Œdipos, not knowing whom he had slain, went on to Thebes, and ere long married the widowed queen Jocasta, not knowing that she was his mother, and by her he had two sons and two daughters. The names of the sons were Eteoclês and Polynicês. These sons, in time, dethroned their father, and agreed to reign alternate years. Eteoclês reigned first, but at the close of the year refused to resign the crown to his brother, and Polynicês made war upon him. This war, which occurred some forty-two years before the siege of Troy, and about the time that Deborah was fighting with Sisera (Judg. iv.), is the subject of the Thebaid.

The first book recapitulates the history given above, and then goes on to say that Polynicês went straight to Argos, and laid his grievance before king Adrastos (bk. i.). While at Argos, he married one of the king’s daughters, and Tydeus the other. The festivities being over, Tydeus was sent to Thebes to claim the throne for his brother-in-law, and, being insolently dismissed, denounced war against Eteoclês. The villainous usurper sent fifty ruffians to fall on the ambassador on his way to Argos, but they were all slain, except one, who was left to carry back the news (bk. ii.). When Tydeus reached Argos, he wanted his father-in-law to march at once against Thebes, but Adrastos, less impetuous, made answer that a great war required time for its organization. However, Kapaneus, siding with Tydeus [Ti-duce], roused the mob (bk. iii.), and Adrastos at once set about preparations for war. He placed his army under six chief tains, viz. Polynicês, Tydeus, Amphiaraos, Kapaneus, Parthenopæos, and Hippomedon, he himself acting as commander-in-chief (bk. iv.). Bks. v. and vi. describe the march from Argos to Thebes. On the arrival of the allied army before Thebes, Jocasta tried to reconcile her two sons, but, not succeeding in this, hostilities commenced, and one of the chiefs, named Amphiaraos, was swallowed up by an earthquake (bk. vii.). Next day, Tydeus greatly distinguished himself, but fell (bk. viii.). Hippomedon and Parthenopæos were both slain the day following (bk. ix.). Then came the turn of Kapaneus, bold as a tiger, strong as a giant, and a regular dare-devil in war. He actually scaled the wall, he thought himself sure of victory, he defied even Jove to stop him, and was instantly killed by a flash of lightning (bk. x.). Polynicés was now the only one of the six remaining, and he sent to Eteoclês to meet him in single combat. The two brothers met, they fought like lions, they gave no quarter, they took no rest. At length, Eteoclês fell, and Polynicês, running up to strip him of his arms, was thrust through the bowels, and fell dead on the dead body of his brother. Adrastos now decamped, and returned to Argos (bk. xi.). Creon, having usurped the Theban crown, forbade any one on pain of death to bury the dead; but when Theseus king of Athens heard of this profanity, he marched at once to Thebes, Creon died, and the crown was given to Theseus (bk. xii.).