Adrastus

Polynices was driven out of Thebes.

He went to Argos and there married the daughter of King Adrastus, with whose support he is now preparing to march against Thebes.

Meanwhile, an oracle has come from Delphi to Thebes.

If Thebes is to prosper, the grave of Oedipus must be in Theban soil.

And of this I deem it most likely that the curse on thy house is the cause.

Then, from soothsayers also I so hear.

For when I came to Dorian Argos, I took the daughter of Adrastus to wife, and I bound to me by oath all of the Apian land who are foremost in renown of war, that with them I might levy the sevenfold host of spearmen against Thebes, and die in my just cause, or cast the doers of this wrong from the realm.

Well, and wherefore have I come hither now? With suppliant prayers, my father, unto thee, mine own, and the prayers of mine allies, who now with seven hosts behind their seven spears have set their leaguer round the plain of Thebes, of whom is swift-speared Amphiaraus, matchless warrior, matchless augur, then the son of Aeneas, Aetolian Tydeus, Eteocles third, of Argive birth, the fourth Hippomedon, sent by Talaus his sire, while Capaneus the fifth vaunts that he will burn Thebes with fire unto the ground, and sixth, Arcadian Parthenopaeus rushes to the war, named from that virgin of other days, whose marriage in after time gave him birth, trusty son of Atalanta.

But after their death their sons and grandsons began to be at feud about the kingdom, each desiring to make himself lord of all Argos.

At last, when the prince Adrastus, grandson of Bias, reigned in his father's stead, he took to himself the inheritance of the grandson of Melampus, who was yet a child, pretending that he would hold it in trust for his young kinsman.

Also he took the child away from the servants who had the care of him, for his father and mother were dead, and brought him up in his own palace, and forbade his own servants on pain of death to let him learn that he was a king's son.

So this little prince, who was called Amphiaraus, grew up in the house of Adrastus, and none dared tell him that he had a right to half the kingdom.

He had for playmate a beautiful little girl, Ariphile by name, who was the younger sister of Adrastus, and he came to love her very dearly, in spite of one great fault that she had.

She was the most covetous little maiden that ever lived.

She could not see her playfellow with a flower, or a fruit, or a toy, without wanting to have it, and very often she got it.

For she could coax very prettily, and if that did not do, the tears would come into her sweet dark eyes, and her rosebud of a mouth would quiver so piteously, that he somehow felt himself a cruel little wretch, and begged her to take it.