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.
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 enemy should give occasion to smite him; and if one showed so much
as an eye above the rim of his shield the other would strike at him. But
after a while King Eteocles slipped upon a stone that was under his
foot, and uncovered his leg, at which straightway Polynices took aim
with his spear, piercing the skin. But so doing he laid his own shoulder
bare, and King Eteocles gave him a wound in the breast. He brake his
spear in striking and would have fared ill but that with a great stone
he smote the spear of Polynices and brake this also in the middle. And
now were the two equal, for each had lost his spear. So they drew their
swords and came yet closer together. But Eteocles used a device which he
had learnt in the land of Thessaly; for he drew his left foot back, as
if he would have ceased from the battle, and then of a sudden moved the
right forward; and so smiting sideways, drove his sword right through
the body of Polynices. But when, thinking that he had slain him, he set
his weapons in the earth and began to spoil him of his arms, the other,
for he yet breathed a little, laid his hand upon his sword, and though
he had scarce strength to smite, yet gave the king a mortal blow, so
that the two lay dead together on the plain. And the men of Thebes
lifted up the bodies of the dead and bare them both into the city.
When these two brothers, the sons of King Oedipus, had fallen each by
the hand of the other, the kingdom fell to Creon, their uncle. For not
only was he the next of kin to the dead, but also the people held him in
great honor because his son Menoeceus had offered himself with a
willing heart that he might deliver his city from captivity.
Now when Creon was come to the throne he made a proclamation about the
two princes, commanding that they should bury Eteocles with all honor,
seeing that he died as beseemed a good man and a brave, doing battle for
his country, that it should not be delivered into the hands of the
enemy; but as for Polynices, he bade them leave his body to be devoured
by the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field, because he had
joined himself to the enemy and would have beaten down the walls of the
city and burned the temples of the gods with fire and led the people
captive. Also he commanded that if any man should break this decree he
should suffer death by stoning.
Now Antigone, who was sister to the two princes, heard that the decree
had gone forth, and chancing to meet her sister Ismene before the gates
of the palace, spake to her, saying:
"O my sister, hast thou heard this decree that the king hath put forth
concerning our brethren that are dead?"
Then Ismene made answer: "I have heard nothing, my sister, only that we
are bereaved of both of our brethren in one day and that the army of the
Argives is departed in this night that is now past. So much I know, but
no more."
"Hearken then. King Creon hath made a proclamation that they shall bury
Eteocles with all honor, but that Polynices shall lie unburied, that the
birds of the air and the beasts of the field may devour him, and that
whosoever shall break this decree shall suffer death by stoning."
"But if it be so, my sister, how can we avail to change it?"
"Think whether or no thou wilt share with me the doing of this deed."
"What deed? What meanest thou?"
"To pay due honor to this dead body."
"What? Wilt thou bury him when the king hath forbidden it?"
"Yes, for he is my brother and also thine, though perchance thou wouldst
not have it so. And I will not play him false."
"O my sister, wilt thou do this when Creon hath forbidden it?"
"Why should he stand between me and mine?"
"But think now what sorrows are come upon our house. For our father
perished miserably, having first put out his own eyes; and our mother
hanged herself with her own hands; our two brothers fell in one day,
each by the other's spear; and now we two only are left. And shall we
not fall into a worse destruction than any, if we transgress these
commands of the king? Think, too, that we are women and not men, and of
necessity obey them that are stronger. Wherefore, as for me, I will pray
the dead to pardon me, seeing that I am thus constrained; but I will
obey them that rule."
"I advise thee not, and if thou thinkest thus, I would not have thee for
helper. But know that I will bury my brother, nor could I better die
than for doing such a deed. For as he loved me, so also do I love him
greatly. And shall not I do pleasure to the dead rather than to the
living, seeing that I shall abide with the dead for ever? But thou, if
thou wilt do dishonor to the laws of the gods?"
"I dishonor them not. Only I cannot set myself against the powers that
be."
"So be it; but I will bury my brother."
"O my sister, how I fear for thee!"
"Fear for thyself. Thine own lot needeth all thy care."
"Thou wilt at least keep thy counsel, nor tell the thing to any man."
"Not so: hide it not. I shall scorn thee more if thou proclaim it not
aloud to all."
So Antigone departed; and after a while came to the same place King
Creon, clad in his royal robes and with his scepter in his hand, and set
forth his counsel to the elders who were assembled, how he had dealt
with the two princes according to their deserving, giving all honor to
him that loved his country and casting forth the other unburied. And he
bade them take care that this decree should be kept, saying that he had
also appointed certain men to watch the dead body.
And he had scarcely left speaking when there came one of these same
watchers, and said:
"I have not come hither in haste, O King; nay, I doubted much, while I
was yet on the way, whether I should not turn again. For now I thought,
'Fool, why goest thou where thou shalt suffer for it'; and then, again,
'Fool, the king will hear the matter elsewhere, and then how wilt thou
fare?' But at the last I came as I had purposed, for I know that nothing
may happen to me contrary to fate."
"But say," said the king, "what troubles thee so much?"
"First hear my case. I did not the thing and know not who did it, and it
were a grievous wrong should I fall into trouble for such a cause."
"Thou makest a long preface, excusing thyself, but yet hast, as I judge,
something to tell."
"Fear, my lord, ever causeth delay."
"Wilt thou not speak out thy news and then begone?"
"I will speak it. Know then that some man hath thrown dust upon this
dead corpse, and done besides such things as are needful."
"What sayest thou? Who hath dared to do this deed?"
"That I know not, for there was no mark as of spade or pick-axe; nor was
the earth broken, nor had wagon passed thereon. We were sore dismayed
when the watchman showed the thing to us; for the body we could not see.
Buried indeed it was not, but rather covered with dust. Nor was there
any sign as of wild beast or of dog that had torn it. Then there arose a
contention among us, each blaming the other, and accusing his fellows,
and himself denying that he had done the deed or was privy to it. And
doubtless we had fallen to blows but that one spake a word which made us
all tremble for fear, knowing that it must be as he said. For he said
that the thing must be told to thee, and in no wise hidden. So we drew
lots, and by evil chance the lot fell upon me. Wherefore I am here, not
willingly, for no man loveth him that bringeth evil tidings."
Then said the chief of the old men:
"Consider, O King, for haply this thing is from the gods."
But the king cried:
"Thinkest thou that the gods care for such an one as this dead man, who
would have burnt their temples with fire, and laid waste the land which
they love; and set at naught the laws? Not so. But there are men in this
city who have long time had ill will to me, not bowing their necks to my
yoke; and they have persuaded these fellows with money to do this thing.
Surely there never was so evil a thing as money, which maketh cities
into ruinous heaps and banisheth men from their houses and turneth their
thoughts from good unto evil. But as for them that have done this deed
for hire, of a truth they shall not escape, for I say to thee, fellow,
if ye bring not here before my eyes the man that did this thing, I will
hang you up alive. So shall ye learn that ill gains bring no profit to a
man."
So the guard departed, but as he went he said to himself:
"Now may the gods grant that the man be found; but however this may be,
thou shalt not see me come again on such errand as this, for even now
have I escaped beyond all hope."
Notwithstanding, after a space he came back with one of his fellows; and
they brought with them the maiden Antigone, with her hands bound
together.
And it chanced that at the same time King Creon came forth from the
palace. Then the guard set forth the thing to him, saying:
"We cleared away the dust from the dead body, and sat watching it. And
when it was now noon, and the sun was at his height, there came a
whirlwind over the plain, driving a great cloud of dust. And when this
had passed, we looked, and lo! this maiden whom we have brought hither
stood by the dead corpse. And when she saw that it lay bare as before,
she sent up an exceeding bitter cry, even as a bird whose young ones
have been taken from the nest. Then she cursed them that had done this
deed, and brought dust and sprinkled it upon the dead man, and poured
water upon him three times. Then we ran and laid hold upon her and
accused her that she had done this deed; and she denied it not. But as
for me, 'tis well to have escaped from death, but it is ill to bring
friends into the same. Yet I hold that there is nothing dearer to a man
than his life."
Then said the king to Antigone:
"Tell me in a word, didst thou know my decree?"
"I knew it. Was it not plainly declared?"
"How daredst thou to transgress the laws?"
"Zeus made not such laws, nor Justice that dwelleth with the gods below.
I judged not that thy decrees had such authority that a man should
transgress for them the unwritten sure commandments of the gods. For
these, indeed, are not of today or yesterday, but they live forever, and
their beginning no man knoweth. Should I, for fear of thee, be found
guilty against them? That I should die I knew. Why not? All men must
die. And if I die before my time, what loss? He who liveth among many
sorrows even as I have lived, counteth it gain to die. But had I left my
own mother's son unburied, this had been loss indeed."
Then said the king:
"Such stubborn thoughts have a speedy fall and are shivered even as the
iron that hath been made hard in the furnace. And as for this woman and
her sister--for I judge her sister to have had a part in this
matter--though they were nearer to me than all my kindred, yet shall
they not escape the doom of death. Wherefore let some one bring the
other woman hither."
And while they went to fetch the maiden Ismene, Antigone said to the
king:
"Is it not enough for thee to slay me? What need to say more? For thy
words please me not, nor mine thee. Yet what nobler thing could I have
done than to bury my mother's son? And so would all men say, but fear
shutteth their mouths."
"Nay," said the king, "none of the children of Cadmus thinketh thus, but
thou only. But, hold, was not he that fell in battle with this man thy
brother also?"
"Yes, truly, my brother he was."
"And dost thou not dishonor him when thou honorest his enemy?"
"The dead man would not say it, could he speak."
"Shall then the wicked have like honor with the good?"
"How knowest thou but that such honor pleaseth the gods below?"
"I have no love for them I hate, though they be dead."
"Of hating I know nothing; 'tis enough for me to love."
"If thou wilt love, go love the dead. But while I live no woman shall
rule me."
Then those that had been sent to fetch the maiden Ismene brought her
forth from the palace. And when the king accused her that she had been
privy to the deed she denied not, but would have shared one lot with her
sister.
But Antigone turned from her, saying:
"Not so; thou hast no part or lot in the matter. For thou hast chosen
life and I have chosen death; and even so shall it be."
And when Ismene saw that she prevailed nothing with her sister, she
turned to the king and said:
"Wilt thou slay the bride of thy son?"
"Ay," said he, "there are other brides to win!"
"But none," she made reply, "that accord so well with him."
"I will have no evil wives for my sons," said the king.
Then cried Antigone:
"O Haemon, whom I love, how thy father wrongeth thee!"
Then the king bade the guards lead the two into the palace. But scarcely
had they gone when there came to the place the Prince Haemon, the king's
son, who was betrothed to the maiden Antigone. And when the king saw
him, he said:
"Art thou content, my son, with thy father's judgment?"
And the young man answered:
"My father, I would follow thy counsels in all things."
Then said the king:
"'Tis well spoken, my son. This is a thing to be desired, that a man
should have obedient children. But if it be otherwise with a man, he
hath gotten great trouble for himself and maketh sport for them that
hate him. And now as to this matter. There is naught worse than an evil
wife. Wherefore I say let this damsel wed a bridegroom among the dead.
For since I have found her, alone of all this people, breaking my
decree, surely she shall die. Nor shall it profit her to claim kinship
with me, for he that would rule a city must first deal justly with his
own kindred. And as for obedience, this it is that maketh a city to
stand both in peace and in war."
To this the Prince Haemon made answer:
"What thou sayest, my father, I do not judge. Yet bethink thee, that I
see and hear on thy behalf what is hidden from thee. For common men
cannot abide thy look if they say that which pleaseth thee not. Yet do I
hear it in secret. Know then that all the city mourneth for this maiden,
saying that she dieth wrongfully for a very noble deed, in that she
buried her brother. And 'tis well, my father, not to be wholly set on
thy thoughts, but to listen to the counsels of others."
"Nay," said the king; "shall I be taught by such an one as thou?"
"I pray thee regard my words, if they be well, and not my years."
"Can it be well to honor them that transgress? And hath not this woman
transgressed?"
"The people of this city judge not so."
"The people, sayest thou? Is it for them to rule, or for me?"
"No city is the possession of one man only."
So the two answered one the other, and their anger waxed hot. And at the
last the king cried:
"Bring this accursed woman and slay her before his eyes."
And the prince answered:
"That thou shalt never do. And know this also, that thou shalt never see
my face again."
So he went away in a rage; and the old men would have appeased the
king's wrath, but he would not hearken to them, but said that the two
maidens should die.
"Wilt thou then slay them both?" said the old men.
"'Tis well said," the king made answer. "Her that meddled not with the
matter, I harm not."
"And how wilt thou deal with the other?"
"There is a desolate place, and there I will shut her up alive in a
sepulchre; yet giving her so much of food as shall quit us of guilt in
the matter, for I would not have the city defiled. There let her
persuade Death, whom she loveth so much, that he harm her not."
So the guards led Antigone away to shut her up alive in the sepulchre.
But scarcely had they departed when there came an old prophet Tiresias,
seeking the king. Blind he was, so that a boy led him by the hand; but
the gods had given him to see things to come.
And when the king saw him he asked:
"What seekest thou, wisest of men?"
Then the prophet answered:
"Hearken, O King, and I will tell thee. I sat in my seat, after my
custom, in the place whither all manner of birds resort. And as I sat I
heard a cry of birds that I knew not, very strange and full of wrath.
And I knew that they tare and slew each other, for I heard the fierce
flapping of their wings. And being afraid, I made inquiry about the
fire, how it burned upon the altars. And this boy, for as I am a guide
to others so he guideth me, told me that it shone not at all, but
smouldered and was dull, and that the flesh which was burnt upon the
altar spluttered in the flame and wasted away into corruption and
filthiness. And now I tell thee, O King, that the city is troubled by
thy ill counsels. For the dogs and the birds of the air tear the flesh
of this dead son of Oedipus, whom thou sufferest not to have due
burial, and carry it to the altars, polluting them therewith. Wherefore
the gods receive not from us prayer or sacrifice, and the cry of the
birds hath an evil sound, for they are full of the flesh of a man.
Therefore I bid thee be wise in time. For all men may err; but he that
keepeth not his folly, but repenteth, doeth well; but stubbornness
cometh to great trouble."
Then the king answered:
"Old man, I know the race of prophets full well, how ye sell your art
for gold. But make thy trade as thou wilt, this man shall not have
burial; yea, though the eagles of Zeus carry his flesh to their master's
throne in heaven, he shall not have it."
And when the prophet spake again, entreating him and warning, the king
answered him after the same fashion, that he spake not honestly, but had
sold his art for money.
But at the last the prophet spake in great wrath, saying:
"Know, O King, that before many days shall pass thou shalt pay a life
for a life, even one of thine own children, for them with whom thou hast
dealt unrighteously, shutting up the living with the dead and keeping
the dead from them to whom they belong. Therefore the Furies lie in wait
for thee and thou shalt see whether or no I speak these things for
money. For there shall be mourning and lamentation in thine own house,
and against thy people shall be stirred up many cities. And now, my
child, lead me home and let this man rage against them that are younger
than I."
So the prophet departed and the old men were sore afraid and said:
"He hath spoken terrible things, O King; nor ever since these gray hairs
were black have we known him say that which was false."
"Even so," said the king, "and I am troubled in heart and yet am loath
to depart from my purpose."
"King Creon," said the old men, "thou needest good counsel."
"What, then, would ye have done?"
"Set free the maiden from the sepulchre and give this dead man burial."
Then the king cried to his people that they should bring bars wherewith
to loosen the doors of the sepulchre, and hastened with them to the
place. But coming on their way to the body of Prince Polynices, they
took it up and washed it, and buried that which remained of it, and
raised over the ashes a great mound of earth. And this being done, they
drew near to the place of the sepulchre; and as they approached, the
king heard within a very piteous voice, and knew it for the voice of his
son. Then he bade his attendants loose the door with all speed; and when
they had loosed it, they beheld within a very piteous sight. For the
maiden Antigone had hanged herself by the girdle of linen which she
wore, and the young man Prince Haemon stood with his arms about her dead
body, embracing it. And when the king saw him, he cried to him to come
forth; but the prince glared fiercely upon him and answered him not a
word, but drew his two-edged sword. Then the king, thinking that his son
was minded in his madness to slay him, leapt back, but the prince drove
the sword into his own heart and fell forward on the earth, still
holding the dead maiden in his arms. And when they brought the tidings
of these things to Queen Eurydice, the wife of King Creon and mother to
the prince, she could not endure the grief, being thus bereaved of her
children, but laid hold of a sword and slew herself therewith.
So the house of King Creon was left desolate unto him that day, because
he despised the ordinances of the gods.