Chapter 6 Seven Heroes' Expedition to Thebes-6

The first battle against Thebes is over.When Creon and Eteocles led the team back to the city, Argos' soldiers regrouped and prepared to attack the city again.Facing a powerful enemy, Eteocles made a major decision. He sent an envoy to the Argos camp outside the city, asking for a truce.Then, Eteocles stood on the top of the city and shouted to the soldiers on both sides.He said in a loud voice: "Soldiers of Argos and men of Thebes who have come from afar, neither of you should sacrifice your life for me and Polynices! Let me bear the danger of battle by myself, and I brother Polydeuces alone. If I slay him, then I shall remain on the throne of Thebes; The Sri Lankan people still return to their own land, and there is no need to shed blood and die in a foreign country.”

Polynices immediately jumped out of the Argives' ranks, shouted towards the top of the city, and declared that he would accept his brother's challenge.Soldiers on both sides cheered and agreed with this proposal.The two parties signed an agreement, and the two chiefs took an oath to abide by the agreement. Before the decisive battle, the soothsayers on both sides were busy offering sacrifices to the gods, and the outcome of the battle could be seen from the flames of the sacrifices.The omens they got were vague, as if both sides were winners and losers.Polynices turned his head, looked at the land of Argos in the distance, and raised his hands to pray: "Goddess Hera, the patron saint of Argos, I will marry a wife in your land, and I will marry you in your land. Life. Please bless me to win the battle!"

Eteocles also returned to the Temple of Athena in Thebes, praying: "Oh, daughter of Zeus, bless my dancing spear to stab the enemy, and let me win the final victory!" As soon as he finished speaking, the horn of battle sounded.The brothers rushed forward and a brutal bloody battle began.Their spears flew through the air, thrusting at each other, but were blocked by their shields with a clang.They hurled their spears at each other again, but were bounced back by the strong shields.The soldiers watching from the side were sweating and dazzled.At last, Eteocles could not control himself, for he saw a stone in the way blocking him while he was stabbing.He kicked the stone aside with his right foot, only to expose his foot from the shield.Polynices rushed forward with his spear and pierced his embryobone with a sharp spear.

The soldiers of Argos cheered loudly, thinking that the victory could be decided.But the injured Eteoles resisted the pain and looked for an opportunity to attack.Seeing that the opponent's shoulder was exposed, he threw a spear and hit it right.Immediately he took a step back, picked up the stone, threw it hard, and broke Polynices' spear.At this time, the battle situation was evenly divided, and both sides lost a weapon each.They drew their swords again, swung and slashed.The shields collided, jingling.A method of attack suddenly occurred to Neteocles, which he had learned in Thessaly.He suddenly changed his posture, took a step back, supported his body with his left foot, carefully protected the lower part of his body, then jumped up with his right foot, and stabbed Polynices in the abdomen with his sword.Polynices was badly wounded by the sudden blow, and fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.Thinking he had won, Eteocles dropped his sword and bent over his dying brother to take his weapon.Although Polynices fell to the ground, he still held on to the hilt of his sword.Seeing Eteocles bend over, he struggled and stabbed hard, piercing his brother's liver.Eteocles then fell down beside his dying brother.

The curse of the father Oedipus came true. All seven gates of Thebes were opened.Women and servants rushed out, weeping loudly around the body of their king. Antigone threw herself on the body of her brother Polynices, and she wanted to hear his last words.Eteocles died almost instantly, and died with a low sigh.Polynices, still panting, turned to his sister, looked at her with bleary eyes, and said: "How should I lament your fate, sister, and the fate of my dead brother! Becoming an enemy, I didn't feel that I loved him until I was dying! Dear sister, I hope you will bury me on the land of my hometown, and ask the angry people of my hometown to forgive me, and at least fulfill my last wish."

After speaking, he died in his sister's arms.At this time, there were quarrels among the crowd.The Thebans believed that their master Eteocles had won, while the other side believed that Polynices had won.Because of the heated debate, force was used again. But the Thebes took the lead, because the brothers faced each other just now, and the Thebes still lined up, holding weapons, and watching from the sidelines.The Argosians thought they would win without a doubt, so they all put down their weapons and cheered from the sidelines.Now, suddenly, the Thebes rushed towards the Argives.The Argives had no time to take up arms, so they fled in all directions, and hundreds of soldiers died under the spears of the Thebes.

A strange thing happened when the Argives fled.The Theban hero Pericles Lymenos chased the prophet Amphiaraus to the banks of the Ismenos.At this time, the river was high and the carriage could not cross the river.The Thebes had come after them, and in desperation Amphiaraus had to venture across the river.However, before the carriage entered the water, the pursuers had already reached the river, and the spear almost pierced his neck.Zeus saw all this, and he did not want his seer to die in disgrace, so he sent down a thunderbolt and split the earth.The cracked earth opened its black mouth, and engulfed Honphiaraus and his chariot.

Soon, the enemies around Thebes were also wiped out.Both the brave hero Hippomedon and the mighty Tydeus fell.The Thebans swept the field, and came from all directions bearing shields of the dead and other trophies.They marched triumphantly into the city laden with spoils.