ABSTRACT

The word means ‘successors’ or ‘second generation’, and refers to the sons of the Seven Champions. Under the leadership of Adrastus, the Seven had attacked Thebes on behalf of Polynices, and all of them fell in battle except Adrastus himself. Ten years after this disaster the sons of the Seven renewed the attack on the advice of the Delphic Oracle, in order to avenge their fathers and vindicate Polynices’ claim to the throne. Their leader was Alcmaeon son of Amphiaraus, and the other Epigoni were Diomedes son of Tydeus, Sthenelus son of Capaneus, Euryalus son of Mecisteus, Promachus son of Parthenopaeus, together with Thersander son of Polynices, Amphilochus brother of Alcmaeon, and Aegialeus son of Adrastus-who was the only one of them to perish. The Thebans were routed at a place called Glisas, and on Tiresias’ advice abandoned their city, fleeing to the land of the Encheleis, where Cadmus and Harmonia had taken refuge after the arrival of Dionysus; Tiresias died during the flight. The Epigoni established Polynices’ son Thersander on the throne of Thebes, and he invited the refugees to return. The Epigoni offered part of the booty, including Tiresias’ daughter Manto, to Apollo at Delphi. Then they went home to Argos. But Adrastus, who had accompanied them, died of grief for Aegialeus, leaving Cyanippus, Aegialeus’ baby son, as his heir. Diomedes became regent-he is sometimes called king-of Argos, but after the Trojan War Sthenelus or Cylarabes took the throne, since Cyanippus was now dead.