Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας
Seven Against Thebes
Aeschylus · first staged City Dionysia, 467 BC · first prize
Polynices leads an Argive army against Thebes, where his brother Eteocles is king. Eteocles posts a defender at each of the seven gates and takes the seventh himself, facing his brother. The two kill each other.
Persons, in order of appearance
- Ετ.Eteocles
- Αγ.Scout
- Χο.Chorus
- Αν.Antigone
- Ισ.Ismene
- Κη.Herald
- Ημ.Semichorus
Translations
- H. W. Smythprose · 1922 · aligned by line · with Smyth's Greek
- E. D. A. Morsheadverse · 1881–1908 · aligned by speech · with Murray's Greek
- Smyth, rev. Seven Heroization team (Kosmos Society)prose · aligned by speech · with Smyth's Greek
- Ian Johnston (VIU)verse · aligned by speech · with Murray's Greek
Greek texts
Cite as Aesch. Sept. 1–1078
Full synopsis (tells the ending)
Thebes is under siege. Polynices, son of Oedipus, has brought an Argive army against the city his brother Eteocles rules. Eteocles steadies the terrified women of the chorus, then hears a scout describe the seven champions posted at the seven gates and names a defender for each. The seventh gate is Polynices', and Eteocles takes it himself. The city is saved; the brothers kill each other, and their sisters mourn them.
Drawing: Line drawing after the 1843 plate of an archaic black-figure hydria (Gerhard, Auserlesene griechische Vasenbilder II, Taf. XCI, "Eriphyle"); cut out and retraced.