Eteocles
Family: Thebes · Role: father of Laodamas · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 39
In Book 1, Chapter 39, Eteocles is identified as the father of Laodamas. By Book 5, Chapter 19, he is fighting Polynices, his brother and one of the sons of Œdipus; the account says that Polynices was carried off by Fate and that Eteocles met his just end.
In Book 9, Chapter 5, Eteocles and Polynices are said to have killed each other in single combat. The kingdom devolved upon Laodamas, with Creon ruling as guardian for him. In Chapter 25, Antigone drags Polynices’ corpse onto Eteocles’ blazing funeral pile.
Relationship record
Life events
- Fate carries off Polynices, while Eteocles meets his just end.(Book 5 · Chapter 19)
- Polynices and Eteocles killed each other; Laodamas inherited, with Creon as guardian.(Book 9 · Chapter 5)
- With: Polynices Laodamas Creon
- “And on his return he quarrelled with Eteocles, and went into exile a second time. And having begged of Adrastus a force to restore him, he lost his army and challenged Eteocles to single combat. And he and his brother killed each other, and as the kingdom devolved upon Laodamas the son of Eteocles, Creon the son of Menœceus ruled as guardian for the boy.”
- Polynices and Eteocles fought a single combat and killed one another.(Book 9 · Chapter 25 · 📍 Thebes)
- With: Polynices
- “the sons of Œdipus had a single combat and killed one another.”
- Antigone dragged Polynices’ corpse onto Eteocles’ blazing funeral pile.(Book 9 · Chapter 25 · 📍 Antigone’s Dragging-ground)
Book 1 · Chapter 39
- child: Laodamas “Laodamas the son of Eteocles”
Book 5 · Chapter 19
- parent: Œdipus “the sons of Œdipus, Polynices has fallen on his knees, and Eteocles is pressing him hard.”
- siblings with Polynices “the sons of Œdipus, Polynices has fallen on his knees, and Eteocles is pressing him hard.”
- rivals with Polynices “Polynices has fallen on his knees, and Eteocles is pressing him hard”
- enemies with Polynices “Polynices has fallen on his knees, and Eteocles is pressing him hard”
Book 9 · Chapter 5
- parent: Œdipus (Eteocles is identified as Œdipus's son elsewhere in the surrounding genealogy, but this quote does not state it directly.) “And on his return he quarrelled with Eteocles”
- siblings with Polynices (Polynices and Eteocles are the two combatants.) “And he and his brother killed each other”
- child: Laodamas (Parent-to-child direction.) “as the kingdom devolved upon Laodamas the son of Eteocles”
- with Polynices (killed each other) “And he and his brother killed each other.”
Book 9 · Chapter 8
- child: Laodamas “most of them fled with Laodamas the son of Eteocles”
Book 9 · Chapter 10
- child: Laodamas “Laodamas the son of Eteocles.”
Book 9 · Chapter 25
- enemies with Polynices “the sons of Œdipus had a single combat and killed one another”
- parent: Œdipus “the sons of Œdipus had a single combat and killed one another. ... the funeral pile of Eteocles which was blazing”
- siblings with Polynices “the sons of Œdipus had a single combat and killed one another. ... the corpse of Polynices ... the funeral pile of Eteocles which was blazing”
- with Antigone (Antigone placed Polynices' corpse on Eteocles' funeral pile.) “And the whole place is called Antigone’s Dragging-ground: for as she could not easily lift up with all her zeal the corpse of Polynices, her next idea was to drag it along, which she did till she was able to throw it on the funeral pile of Eteocles which was blazing.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.