ar now then woes even in addition to these--For when her sons
having fallen were breathing their last, at this moment the wretched mother
rushes before them, and when she perceived them stricken with mortal wounds
she shrieked out, "Oh my sons, I am come too late a succor:" and throwing
herself by the side of her children in turn, she wept, she lamented with
moans her long anxiety in suckling them _now lost_: and their sister, who
accompanied to stand by her in her misery, at the same time _broke forth_;
"O supporters of my mother's age! Oh ye that have betrayed my hopes of
marriage, my dearest brothers!"--But king Eteocles heaving from his breast
his gasping breath, heard his mother, and putting out his cold clammy hand,
sent not forth indeed a voice; but from his eyes spoke her in tears to
signify affection. But Polynices, who yet breathed, looking at his sister
and his aged mother, thus spoke: "We perish, O my mother; but I grieve for
thee, and for this my sister, and my brother who lies dead, for being my
friend, he became my enemy, but still my friend.--But bury me, O mother of
my being, and thou my sister, in my native land, and pacify the exasperated
city, that I may obtain thus much at least of my country's land, although I
have lost the palace. And close my eyelids with thy hand, my mother" (and
he places it himself upon his eyes), "and fare ye well! for now darkness
surroundeth me." And both breathed out their lives together. And the
mother, when she saw what had taken place, beyond endurance grieving,
snatched the sword from the dead body, and perpetrated a deed of horror;
for she drove the steel through the middle of her throat, and lies dead on
those most dear to her, having each in her arms embraced. But the people
rose up hastily to a strife of opinions; we indeed, as holding, that my
master was victorious; but they, that the other was; and there was also a
contention between the generals, those on the other side _contended_, that
Polynices first struck with the spear, but those on ours that there was no
victory where the combatants died. [And in the mean time Antigone withdrew
from the army;] but they rushed to arms; but fortunately by a sort of
foresight the people of Cadmus had sat upon their shields: and we gained
the advantage of falling on the Argives not yet accoutred in their arms.
And no one made a stand, but flying they covered the plain; and immense
quantities of blood were spilt of the corses that