Seven Against Thebes

Seven Against Thebes: the third of a trilogy. From wiki:
Seven Against Thebes is the third play in an Oedipus-themed trilogy produced by Aeschylus in 467 BC. The trilogy is sometimes referred to as the Oedipodea.
It concerns the battle between an Argive army led by Polynices and the army of Thebes led by Eteocles and his supporters. The trilogy won the first prize at the City Dionysia. The trilogy's first two plays, Laius and Oedipus, as well as the satyr play Sphinx, are no longer extant.
In Keld, page 351 and following.
"Considering how few of Aeschylus' tragedies have survived, it is amazing that in The Frogs Aristophanes mentions both The Persians and Seven Against Thebes, from five years earlier, as examples of military bravado. Aeschylus replies that they were written in praise of Ares -- that is to say as a sort of mobilization-text intended to around the spectators' "spirit of war" and the desire to fight the enemy by showing what true heroic courage is. 
As emerged from The Persians, the overall moral was to show moderation, while the enemy was destroyed by hubris. The theme is continued in an easily recognizable form in Seven Against These, though in a more ambifuous manner since Eteokles, King of Thebes after Oedipus, must defend the city against his brother Polyneikes. It was determined that they should rule in turn, but Eteokles has refused to give up the throne. So his brother now stands with six allies from the Argive army before the seven gates of Thebes. "
So, this took place after Oedipus is killed. Another part of the saga involving Thebes.

It's almost as if there were two huge sagas, one sage involving Thebes, and a later sage involving Troy.

The royal family of Thebes:


Three plays:
  • Laius
  • Oedipus
  • Seven Against Thebes
The curse: the Labdacus family.

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Analysis

The Theban Plays: "Oedipus the Tyrant"; "Oedipus at Colonus"; "Antigone" By Sophocles






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