ome, the
noise of their coming was soon to resound throughout Greece, for the
arrival of those seven men was the first step in a revolution that was
destined to overturn all the existing conditions of Grecian states.

We should like to go straight on with their story; but to make it clear
to our readers we must go back and offer a short extract from earlier
history. Hitherto the history of Greece had been largely the history of
two cities, Athens and Sparta. The other cities had all played second or
third parts to these great and proud municipalities. But now a third
city, Thebes, was about to come forward, and assume a leading place in
the history of Greece. And of the two men who were to guide it in this
proud career, one was among the seven who entered the gates of the city
in rustic garb that rainy December night.

Of the earlier history of Thebes little need be said. It played its part
in the legendary story of Greece, as may be seen in our story of the
"Seven against Thebes." During the Persian invasion Thebes proved false
to its country, assisted the invaders, and after their repulse was
punished for its treasonable acts. Later on it came again into prominent
notice. During the Peloponnesian war it was a strong ally of Sparta.
Another city, only six miles away, Plataea, was as strong an ally of
Athens. And the inhabitants of these two cities hated each other with
the bitterest animosity. It is a striking example of the isolated
character of Greek communities, and one that it is difficult to
understand in modern times, that two cities of one small state, so near
together that an easy two hours' walk would take a traveller from the
gates of one to those of the other, could be the bitterest of enemies,
sworn allies of two hostile states, and the inhabitants ready to cut
each other's throats at any opportunity. Certainly the sentiment of
human brotherhood has vastly widened since then. There are no two cities
in the civilized world to-day that feel to each other as did Plataea and
Thebes, only six miles apart, in that famous era of Grecian
enlightenment.

We have told how Plataea was taken and destroyed, and its defenders
murdered, by a Spartan army. But it is well to say here that Thebans
formed the most fiercely hostile part of that army, and that it was the
Thebans who demanded and obtained the murder in cold blood of the
hapless prisoners.

And now we pass on to a date less than fifty years later to find a
r