Eteocles & Polynices
Ἐτεοκλῆς, Πολυνείκης
Oedipus' two sons, who agreed to share the throne year by year — and died together.
Eteocles took the throne first and refused to yield it when his year was up, so Polynices marched on Thebes with a foreign army.
Seven champions stood at the seven gates of Thebes — and at the last gate the two brothers met, and ran each other through.
Creon buried Eteocles, defender of the city, with honors — and ordered Polynices' body left in the open field. This is where Antigone begins.
SourcesAeschylus, Seven Against Thebes