ders and neck, as a third foot useth his staff."

When the truth became known--as truth was apt to become known when too
late in old stories--the queen, Jocasta, mad with anguish, hanged
herself, and OEdipus, in wild despair, put out his eyes. The gods who
had led him blindly into crime, now handed him over to punishment by the
Furies,--the ancient goddesses of vengeance, whose mission it was to
pursue the criminal with stinging whips.

The tragic events which followed arose from the curse of the afflicted
OEdipus. He had two sons, Polynikes and Eteocles, who twice offended
him without intention, and whom he, frenzied by his troubles, twice
bitterly cursed, praying to the gods that they might perish by each
other's hands. OEdipus afterwards obtained the pardon of the gods for
his involuntary crime, and died in exile, leaving Creon, the brother of
Jocasta, on the throne. But though he was dead, his curse kept alive,
and brought on new matter of dire moment.

It began its work in a quarrel between the two sons as to who should
succeed their uncle as king of Thebes. Polynikes was in the wrong, and
was forced to leave Thebes, while Eteocles remained. The exiled prince
sought the court of Adrastus, king of Argos, who gave him his daughter
in marriage, and agreed to assist in restoring him to his native
country.

Most of the Argive chiefs joined in the proposed expedition. But the
most distinguished of them all, Amphiaraues, opposed it as unjust and
against the will of the gods. He concealed himself, lest he should be
forced into the enterprise. But the other chiefs deemed his aid
indispensable, and bribed his wife, with a costly present, to reveal his
hiding-place. Amphiaraues was thus forced to join the expedition, but his
prophetic power taught him that it would end in disaster to all and
death to himself, and as a measure of revenge he commanded his son
Alkmaeon to kill the faithless woman who had betrayed him, and after his
death to organize a second expedition against Thebes.

Seven chiefs led the army, one to assail each of the seven celebrated
gates of Thebes. Onward they marched against that strong city, heedless
of the hostile portents which they met on their way. The Thebans also
sought the oracle of the gods, and were told that they should be
victorious, but only on the dread condition that Creon's son,
Menoeceus, should sacrifice himself to Mars. The devoted youth, on
learning that the safety of his country