Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/30

SIEGES OF THEBES.

Curse pronounced by the devoted Œdipus upon his sons.—Novelties introduced by Sophoclês—Death of Œdipus—quarrel of Eteoclês and Polynikês for the sceptre.—Polynikês retires to Argos—aid given to him by Adrastus.—Amphiaräus and Eriphylê.—Seven chiefs of the army Thêbes.—Defeat of the Thêbans in the field—heroic devotion of Menœkeus.—Single combat of Eteoklês and Polynikês, in which both perish.—Repulse and destruction of the Argean chiefs—all except Adrastus—Amphiaräus is swallowed up in the earth.—Kreôn, king of Thêbes, forbids the burial of Polynikês and the other fallen Argeian chiefs.—Devotion and death of Antigonê.—The Athenians interfere to procure the interment of the fallen chiefs.—Second siege of Thebes by Adrastus with the Epigoni, or sons of those slain in the first.—Victory of the Epigoni capture of Thebês.—Worship of Adrastus at Sikyôn—how abrogated by Kleisthenês.—Alkmæôn—his matricide and punishment.—Fatal necklace of Eriphylê. 269-284

CHAPTER XV.

LEGEND OF TROY.

Great extent and variety of the tale of Troy.—Dardanus, son of Zeus.—Ilus, founder of Ilium.—Walls of Ilion built by Poseidôn.—Capture of Ilium by Hêraklês.—Priam and his offspring.—Paris—his judgment on the three goddesses.—Carries off Helen from Sparta.—Expedition of the Greeks to recover her.—Heroes from all parts of Greece combined under Agamemnôn.—Achilles and Odysseus.—The Grecian host mistakes Teuthrania for Troy—Telephus.—Detention of the Greeks at Aulis—Agamemnôn and Iphigeneia.—First success of the Greeks on landing near Troy.—Brisêis awarded to Achilles.—Palamêdês—his genius, and treacherous death.—Epic chronology historicized.—Period of the Homeric Iliad.—Hectôr killed by Achilles.—New allies of Troy—Penthesileia.—Memmôn killed by Achilles.—Death of Achilles.—Funeral games celebrated in honor of him.—Quarrel about his panoply.—Odysseus prevails and Ajax kills himself.—Philoktêtês and Neoptolemus.—Capture of the Palladium.—The wooden horse.—Destruction of Troy.—Distribution of the captives among the victors.—Helen restored to Menelatus—lives in dignity at Sparta—passes to a happy immortality.—Blindness and cure of the poet Stesichorus—alteration of the legend about Helen.—Egyptian tale about Helen—tendency to historicize.—Return of the Greeks from Troy.—Their sufferings—anger of the gods.—Wanderings of the heroes in all directions.—Memorials of them throughout the Grecian world.—Odysseus—his final adventures and death.—Æncas and his descendants.—Different stories about Æneas.—Æneadæ at Skêpsis.—Ubiquity of Æneas.—Antenôr.—Tale of Troy—its magnitude and discrepancies.—Trojan war—essentially legendary—its importance as an item in Grecian national faith.—Basis of history for it—possible, and nothing more.—Historicizing innovations—Dio Chrysostom.—Historical Ilium.—Generally received and visited as the town of Priam.—Respect shown to it by Alexander.—Successors of Alexander—foundation of Alexandreia Trôas.—The Romans—treat Ilium with marked respect.—Mythical legitimacy of Ilium—first called in question by Dêmêtrius of Skêpsis and Hestiæa.—Supposed Old Ilium. or real Troy, distinguished from New Ilium.—Strabo alone believes in Old Ilium as the real Troy—other authors continue in the old faith—