It is in defense of his legitimate claim that Polyneices leads the invasion of the "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus (525/524 B.C.E. - 455/456 B.C.E.).
Specifically, twin brothers Eteocles and Polyneices are joint heirs to the Theban throne. They are supposed to rule in a joint power sharing arrangement of alternating years on the throne. But supported by their uncle Creon, Eteocles does not hand over the throne when his year is up. Polyneices, who is exiled, marries into the Argive royal house. He therefore receives Argive support to assert his royal claim by force.
Polynices gathered the "Seven Against Thebes" to make war on his home city when the throne went to his twin brother Eteocles instead of him.
No captains march in 'Antigone'. The action of the marching captains instead is the subject of 'Seven against Thebes' by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E.-465/464 B.C.E.]. In that earlier play, seven captains lead a combined army of Argive invaders and Theban rebels against the royal throne that Theban King Eteocles refuses to share with his twin brother, Polyneices.The seven captains are King Adrastus of Argos; Amphiaraus; Capaneus; Hippomedon; Parthenopeus; Polyneices; and Tydeus. All but the Argive King die during the unsuccessful attempt to breach the seven gates of Thebes. After the death of Antigone and the exile of Theban King Creon, Adrastus manages to get Athenian King Theseus' help in launching a second invasion. The purpose of that invasion is the recovery of the disrespectfully unburied, exposed bodies of the five dead non Theban captains from the first invasion. Ten years after the second invasion, a third invasion is launched by the sons of the original seven captains. This time, the invasion topples Eteocles' descendants from the throne. The Theban crown is taken over by the descendants of Polyneices.
Capaneus wasn't a character in the play 'Antigone' by Sophocles [496 B.C.E.-406 B.C.E.]. Instead, he was a character in the play 'Seven Against Thebes' by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E.-456/455 B.C.E.]. He was one of six captains who supported Polyneices' attempt to regain his rightful control over the throne of Thebes.Capaneus was famous for his great strength, size and pride. For example, in the invasion of Thebes, he stood before the gate that he was supposed to invade and insulted Zeus, the chief god. As a result, he was struck dead by one of Zeus' thunderbolts.Capaneus' wife Evadne was so distraught over his death that she joined him on the funeral pyre. They left behind their son Sthenelus, who avenged his parents with the subsequently successful invasion of Thebes by the Epigoni. The Epigoni were the seven descendants of the captains who had tried to invade Thebes under Polyneices and had died.**The only survivor of the original seven captains was Polyneices' father-in-law, Argive King Adrastus.
Seven is the number of captains who march against Thebes in "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus (c. 525/524 B.C.E. - c. 456 B.C.E.).Specifically, the captains lead attackers from the combined forces of disgruntled Thebans and supportive Argives. They each receive an assignment to a particular gate to attack and overwhelm. The following lists the leaders in the order of the assigned gates, 1-7: Tydeus; Capaneus; Eteoclus; Hippomedon; Parthenopeus; Amphiaraus; and Polyneices, the legitimate heir to the Theban crown and throne.
Epigoni
Polynices gathered the "Seven Against Thebes" to make war on his home city when the throne went to his twin brother Eteocles instead of him.
Polynices gathered the "Seven Against Thebes" to make war on his home city when the throne went to his twin brother Eteocles instead of him.
No captains march in 'Antigone'. The action of the marching captains instead is the subject of 'Seven against Thebes' by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E.-465/464 B.C.E.]. In that earlier play, seven captains lead a combined army of Argive invaders and Theban rebels against the royal throne that Theban King Eteocles refuses to share with his twin brother, Polyneices.The seven captains are King Adrastus of Argos; Amphiaraus; Capaneus; Hippomedon; Parthenopeus; Polyneices; and Tydeus. All but the Argive King die during the unsuccessful attempt to breach the seven gates of Thebes. After the death of Antigone and the exile of Theban King Creon, Adrastus manages to get Athenian King Theseus' help in launching a second invasion. The purpose of that invasion is the recovery of the disrespectfully unburied, exposed bodies of the five dead non Theban captains from the first invasion. Ten years after the second invasion, a third invasion is launched by the sons of the original seven captains. This time, the invasion topples Eteocles' descendants from the throne. The Theban crown is taken over by the descendants of Polyneices.
Capaneus wasn't a character in the play 'Antigone' by Sophocles [496 B.C.E.-406 B.C.E.]. Instead, he was a character in the play 'Seven Against Thebes' by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E.-456/455 B.C.E.]. He was one of six captains who supported Polyneices' attempt to regain his rightful control over the throne of Thebes.Capaneus was famous for his great strength, size and pride. For example, in the invasion of Thebes, he stood before the gate that he was supposed to invade and insulted Zeus, the chief god. As a result, he was struck dead by one of Zeus' thunderbolts.Capaneus' wife Evadne was so distraught over his death that she joined him on the funeral pyre. They left behind their son Sthenelus, who avenged his parents with the subsequently successful invasion of Thebes by the Epigoni. The Epigoni were the seven descendants of the captains who had tried to invade Thebes under Polyneices and had died.**The only survivor of the original seven captains was Polyneices' father-in-law, Argive King Adrastus.
Harry Snijder has written: 'P. Papinius Statius, Thebaid' -- subject(s): Eteocles (Greek mythology), History and criticism, In literature, Latin Epic poetry, Poetry, Polyneices (Greek mythology), Seven against Thebes (Greek mythology), Seven against Thebes (Greek mythology) in literature, Sibling rivalry in literature
Epigoni
Seven is the number of captains who march against Thebes in "Seven Against Thebes" by Aeschylus (c. 525/524 B.C.E. - c. 456 B.C.E.).Specifically, the captains lead attackers from the combined forces of disgruntled Thebans and supportive Argives. They each receive an assignment to a particular gate to attack and overwhelm. The following lists the leaders in the order of the assigned gates, 1-7: Tydeus; Capaneus; Eteoclus; Hippomedon; Parthenopeus; Amphiaraus; and Polyneices, the legitimate heir to the Theban crown and throne.
The play 'Antigone' doesn't give any information as to the motives of Polyneices in attacking Thebes. But the play 'Seven Against Thebes' by Aeschylus [525/524 B.C.E.* - 456/455 B.C.E.] does. Eteocles and Polyneices are the twin sons of Theban King Oedipus and his wife, Queen Jocasta. They succeed their parents, and initially power-share the throne. But Eteocles doesn't like sharing. He therefore banishes his brother. Polyneices gets together an opposition force, with the help of Argos. He thereby aims to force Eteocles off the throne. *Before the Christian Era.
He was a son of King Creon and Queen Eurydice of Thebes. In the Seven Against Thebes, Creon was told by Tiresias that Thebes would be victorious only if Megareus was sacrificed. Megareus willingly sacrificed himself, and Thebes won against the Seven.
Only Adrastus.
He was killed by Eteocles in the battle of the Seven Against Thebes.
Polynices, Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, Tydeus, Adrastus, Amphiaraus. They were the group that Polynices assembled to attack Thebes against Eteocles's kingship.