suffering less.

Longing to see again the land of Corinth which he had left seized the
blind Oedipus, and like a beggar, staff in hand, he set out. Only
Antigone accompanied him, guiding his step and striving daily to keep up
his courage.

After much wandering Oedipus was finally cast into prison. Then the
two sons took possession of the kingdom, making agreement between
themselves that each should reign for the space of one year. And the
elder of the two, whose name was Eteocles, first had the kingdom; but
when his year was come to an end, he would not abide by his promise, but
kept that which he should have given up, and drove out his younger
brother from the city. Then the younger, whose name was Polynices, fled
to Argos, to King Adrastus. And after a while he married the daughter of
the king, who made a covenant with him that he would bring him back with
a high hand to Thebes and set him on the throne of his father. Then the
king sent messengers to certain of the princes of Greece, entreating
that they would help in this matter. And of these some would not, but
others hearkened to his words, so that a great army was gathered
together and followed the king and Polynices to make war against Thebes.
So they came and pitched their camp over against the city. And after
they had been there many days, the battle grew fierce about the wall.
But the chiefest fight was between the two brothers, for the two came
together 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. But so doing he laid his own shoulder
bare, and King Eteocles gave him a wound in the breast. 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 Eteo