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(Μενοικεύς/ Menoikeús, Latin Menoeceus). [German version] [1] Father of Creon The father of Creon [1] (Soph. Ant. 156 et passim). Klodt, Claudia (Hamburg) [German version] [2] Son of Creon The son of Creon [1] who Tiresias prophesied had to be sacrificed to Ares to ensure victory for Thebes over the army of the Seven ( Seven against Thebes). M. tricks Creon, who tries to persuade him to flee, and kills himself (Eur. Phoen. 834ff.; 1090ff.; 1310ff.; melodramatically elaborated by Stat. Theb. 10,610ff., where M. is spurred on…

[German version] Mythological subject matter, first treated in Greek epic ( Thebaids in the epic cycle, EpGF p. 21-27; Thebaid by Antimachus [3]) and then in tragedy; extant: Aeschylus 'Seven against Thebes', Ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ Θήβας/ Heptà epì Thḗbas, Septem contra Thebas; Soph. Ant.; Soph. O. C.; Eur. Phoen.; Eur. Supp.; Eur. Hypsipyle (fr.). The lyric poets Stesichorus (PMGF p. 180-183; 213-218) and Pindar (O. 6,13-17; N. 9,8-27) also used aspects of this material as their theme. The story was already known to Homer (Hom. Il. 4,376-410 and e…

[German version] (Παρθενοπαῖος; Parthenopaîos; Latin Parthenopaeus). One of the Seven Against Thebes, brother of the Argive king Adrastus [1] or son of the Arcadian hunter Atalante (Soph. OT 1320-1322 with schol.; Eur. Phoen. 150 with schol.; Apollod. 1,9,13; 3,6,3; 9,2; Hyg. Fab. 70; 99; Paus. 9,18,6; schol. Verg. Aen. 6,480; schol. Stat. Theb. 4,309), grew up in Argos (Aesch. Sept. 547f.; Eur. Supp. 888-900). His legendary  youthful beauty (Stat. Silv. 2,6,42f.; Mart. 9,56,7f.; Hyg. Fab. 270) contr…

(Μαίων; Maíōn, Latin Maeon). [German version] [1] Son of a man named Haemon Son of a man named Haemon, leader of the 50 Thebans lying in wait for Tydeus as he returns from a legation. Only M. is spared by the latter, who kills all the others. In gratitude, M. later buries him when he falls outside of Thebes (Hom. Il. 4,390-398; 14,114; Apollod. 3,67; Paus. 9,18,2; Stat. Theb. 2,690-703; 3,40-113). In Statius, M., who is sent back by Tydeus as a witness to the catastrophe, blames Eteocles [1] for the disaster and takes his own life. Klodt, Claudia (Hamburg) [German version] [2] Child of Creon's s…

[German version] (Νεάλκη/ Neálkē, Latin Nealce). Wife of Hippomedon [1], went out with the other widows of the Seven against Thebes to bury her fallen husband (Stat. Theb. 12,122). Klodt, Claudia (Hamburg)

[German version] (Μενάλιππος/ Menálippos). Brother of Tydeus, who accidentally killed him while hunting (Hyg. Fab. 69; schol. Stat. Theb. 1,402; 2,113; TRF I, 190ff., there also in the variant ‘Melanippus’). Klodt, Claudia (Hamburg)

(Ἱππομέδων; Hippomédōn). [German version] [1] One of the Seven against Thebes One of the  Seven against Thebes, brother or nephew of  Adrastus [1], from Lerna, hero of gigantic size. In Aeschylus (Sept. 486ff.), he stands against Hyperbius at the Oncaean Gate, in Euripides (Phoen. 1113ff.; 119ff.), at the Ogygian Gate and at the head of the army. The motif on his shield is  Typhon or  Argus [II]. Euripides (Suppl. 881ff.) depicts him as a warrior limited to physical power. In Statius, he wins the discus co…

[German version] (Πολυνείκης/ Polyneíkēs, Latin Polynices, 'the Much-Quarrelling') . Son of Oedipus and Iocaste (Epicaste) or Euryganea, brother to Eteocles [1] (elder according to Sophocles, younger in Euripides) and Antigone [3]. After the blinding of Oedipus, his sons ruled at Thebes. They insulted (or, according to Sophocles, banished) their father, who cursed them. Eteocles expelled P. or broke the agreement between the brothers to rule alternately. P. fled to Argos, where, after an initial dispute …

(Κρέων; Kréōn, Lat. Creon, Creo). [German version] [1] Regent and King of Thebes Regent and King of Thebes, son of Menoeceus, brother of  Iocaste, married to Eurydice. His daughter  Megara is the first wife of Hercules. His son Haemon is engaged to  Antigone [3], the other son,  Menoeceus, sacrifices his life for Thebes (Eur. Phoen. 834ff.; 1310ff.; Stat. Theb. 10,628ff.). Originally, C. was a filler character -- the name means ‘ruler’ -- and his character varies strongly from poet to poet. In Soph. OT, he i…

[German version] [1] City in the 4th upper Egyptian nome This item can be found on the following maps: Egypt | Commerce | Egypt The Egyptian Thebes, city in the 4th upper Egyptian nome. Quack, Joachim (Berlin) [German version] I. Names Actually Ws.t ('the strong'), from which derived, no later than the 17th dynasty, a female personification Ws.t nḫt.tj ('victorious Thebes'). Beginning with the Middle Kingdom ( c. 1990-1630 BC), often called simply njw.t, 'the city (par excellence)' - from which also the Hebrew form no (Ez 30:14 f.; Jer 46:25; Nahum 3:8) and Assyrian Ne [10. 260] -- o…

[German version] (Latin form from Greek Θειοδάμας/ Theiodámas, 'subdued by the divine'). Seer, son of Melampus [1], in the march of the Seven against Thebes successor to Amphiaraus, who had been swallowed up by the earth, and the leader of a night attack, proposed by him himself on divine inspiration, on sleeping Thebans surrounding the Argive camp (Stat. Theb. 8,271-341; 8,365 f.; 10,160-346). Klodt, Claudia (Hamburg)

(Μελάνιππος; Melánippos, Latin Melanippus). [German version] [1] Theban who fought against the Seven Son of Astacus, opponent of Tydeus (Aesch. Sept. 407-414). At the defence of Thebes against the Seven, he defeats Mecisteus (Hdt. 5,67; Paus. 9,18,1) and mortally wounds Tydeus. When Tydeus himself (Stat. Theb. 8,716-766; Apollod. 3,6,8, perhaps interpolated; temple façade from Pyrgi, Rome, Villa Giulia [1. 43-45; 2]) or Amphiaraus (schol. Hom. Il. 5,126; schol. Pind. N. 10,12; Paus. l.c.) kills M., Tydeus de…