Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/310

 278 HISTORY OF GREECE. the chieftains was shown near Eleusis even ill the days of Pau sanias. 1 A large proportion both of the interesting persons and of the exalted acts of legendary Greece belongs to the female sex. Nor can we on this occasion pass over the name of Evadne, the de- voted widow of Kapaneus, who cast herself on the funeral pile of her husband and perished. 2 The defeat of the seven chiefs before Thebes was amply aven- ged by their sons, again under the guidance of Adrastus : ^Egia- leus son of Adrastus, Thersander son of Polynikes, Alkmaaon and Amphilochus, sons of Amphiaraus, Diomedes son of Tydeus, Sthenelus son of Kapaneus, Promachus son of Parthenopaeus, and Euryalus son of Mekistheus, joined in this expedition. Though all these youthful warriors, called the Epigoni, took part in the expedition, the grand and prominent place appears to have been occupied by Alkmaeon, son of Amphiaraus. Assistance was given to them from Corinth and Megara, as well as from Mes- sene and Arcadia ; while Zeus manifested his favorable disposi- tions by signals not to be mistaken. 3 At the river Glisas the Epigoni were met by the Thebans in arms, and a battle took place in which the latter were completely defeated. Laodamas, eon of Eteokles, killed -ZEgialeus, son of Adrastus ; but he and his army were routed and driven within the walls by the valor and energy of Alkmaeon. The defeated Kadmeians consulted the prophet Teiresias, who informed them that the gods had de- clared for their enemies, and that there was no longer any hope of successful resistance. By his advice they sent a herald to the assailants offering to surrender the town, while they themselves conveyed away their wives and children, and fled under the com 1 Pausan. L 39, 2. 2 Eurip. Supplic. 1004-1110. 3 Homer, Iliad, iv. 406. Sthenelus. the companion of Diomedes and one if the Epigoni, says to Agamemnon, 'H/j.eif TOI irarepuv [icy' upeivovef ev^o/wi?' elvai' 'Hfielf Kal 6f/(3r]c I6of eiA.ofj.ev inTanvtoio, Tlavporepov Xabv ayayovW virb rei%of "Apeiov, HeL-&6fj.evoL repdeaai deuv Kal Zqvde upuyy- A.VTOI