king, and
killed him.

While he remained ignorant of the facts Oedipus was very happy and
reigned in great power and glory; but when pestilence fell upon the
land and he discovered the truth of the almost forgotten oracle, he
was very miserable, and in the madness of grief put out his own eyes.

ANTIGONE, A FAITHFUL DAUGHTER AND SISTER

Jocasta, when she learned that Oedipus was really her son, was so
filled with horror and distress that she took her own life. But
Antigone and Ismene were sorry for their father, whom they loved very
dearly, and sought by every means they knew to render his 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.

[Illustration: THE BLIND OEDIPUS, LED BY HIS DAUGHTER ANTIGONE]

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 en