Seven Against Thebes
The sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polynices, fight for control of Thebes, bringing an army of seven champions against the city's gates.
The Story
After the fall of Oedipus, control of Thebes passed to the next generation.
His sons Eteocles and Polynices were expected to share power.
That arrangement failed.
Eteocles retained control of Thebes, while Polynices went into exile.
Polynices travelled to Argos and gained the support of King Adrastus.
An expedition was organised to restore him to power.
Seven champions were chosen to attack the seven gates of Thebes.
The campaign became known as the Seven Against Thebes.
The attackers included some of the most famous warriors of the generation, among them Tydeus and Capaneus in major traditions.
The assault was disastrous.
The defenders of Thebes held the city.
One by one the attacking champions fell.
The central confrontation came between the brothers themselves.
Eteocles and Polynices met in single combat.
Each killed the other.
The struggle for power had destroyed both claimants.
Thebes survived, but the royal family of Oedipus was shattered.
The conflict did not end with the battle.
The treatment of the dead, especially Polynices, created the next crisis.
That crisis would place Antigone at the centre of the Theban story.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
Seven Against Thebes shows the curse and instability of the house of Oedipus spreading into the next generation. It also links the Theban cycle with wider heroic genealogies through warriors such as Tydeus.
Traditions & Variations
The identities of the seven champions and defenders vary between ancient sources. Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes is one of the principal surviving literary accounts.