se duty it was to punish all criminals by tormenting them as long as
they lived, and even after they had died.

When Antigone described to her poor blind father the place they had
reached, he bade her remain by the roadside, and, groping his way, soon
vanished into the forest. He had scarcely gone, when a terrible
thunderstorm arose. The air grew dark, the lightning flashed, the
thunder rolled, the trees bent and twisted in the wind; and, although
Antigone called her father again and again, she heard no answering cry.

When morning came, she went to look for him, but found no trace of him.
The people in the neighborhood then told her that the Furies had dragged
her father away to punish him for his crimes, and Antigone sadly went
back to Thebes.

As soon as she arrived in the city, Antigone hastened to the palace to
tell her brothers and sister about their father's sad death; but when
she entered her former happy home, she learned that there are sadder
things than death, for her brothers were no longer friends, and had
begun a terrible quarrel.

XI. THE BROTHERS' QUARREL.

The misfortunes of Thebes had not come to an end with the banishment of
OEdipus, and fate was still against the unhappy city. The plague, it
is true, had stopped; but the two young princes were quarreling about
the possession of the throne.

Both wanted to reign, and neither wished to share the throne with his
brother. After much dispute, they agreed at last that each should reign
a year in turn.

Eteocles, the elder, was of course allowed to rule during the first
year; while Polynices went to pay a visit to A-dras'tus, King of Argos.
Here he was warmly welcomed and hospitably entertained; but when the
year was ended, he hurried back to Thebes to reign in his turn.

When he came to the city, however, Eteocles refused to give up the
scepter, and, calling out his guards, made use of his power to drive
Polynices out of the town. This was very wrong, for a promise should
always be kept; and it made Polynices so angry, that he said he would
return with an army, and force his brother to act fairly.

Polynices therefore hurried back to Argos, and soon persuaded Adrastus,
with five other kings and noted warriors, to go with him to Thebes, and
help him take the throne by force.

When Eteocles heard that seven kings were coming with a large army to
make him give up the throne of Thebes, he made up his mind to fight hard
to keep it. After str