Theban legend

Japanese: テーベ伝説 - テーベでんせつ（英語表記）Theban legend

Part of Greek mythology. Set in the ancient city of Thebes in Boeotia, this legend is one of the most important epic poems along with the legend of Troy, and also provided material for many tragedies. It began with the founding of a city by Cadmus and Spartoi, who gave birth to the city by scattering the teeth of a dragon he had slain in the ground. As a human, Cadmus was honored to marry Harmonia, the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, but all of his daughters suffered misfortune, including Semele, who was loved by Zeus and became pregnant with Dionysus, but died suddenly before giving birth due to the jealousy of Hera. His grandson Pentheus, who succeeded him, was torn to pieces by a group of worshippers led by his mother and aunts in an attempt to prevent the spread of the worship of his cousin Dionysus, and after that, all the kings such as Polydorus and Labdacus died young, and the throne passed through the hands of Lycus, and then to the twin brothers Amphion and Zethus, who were born to Antiope by the seed of Zeus, and they built a famous wall with seven gates. However, this house was also wiped out by the divine punishment of Apollo and Artemis due to the abusive words of Amphion's wife Niobe. The throne then went to Laius, a descendant of Cadmus, but as predicted by the oracle, he was killed by his son Oedipus. Oedipus, who had committed the crime of patricide without knowing it, solved the riddle of the Sphinx and became king of Thebes, marrying his mother Jocasta. When this was discovered, Jocasta committed suicide, and Oedipus blinded himself and wandered from country to country, eventually dying at Colonus in Attica. A dispute between his surviving sons Eteocles and Polynices over the throne led to an attack on Thebes by seven generals, and the expeditionary force was repelled after a fierce battle, but Eteocles and Polynices both died in a mutual slaying during the battle. After that, Creon, who became king, forbade the funeral of the enemy's war dead. This led to the tragedy of Antigone, who disobeyed the decree and was captured while trying to bury her brother Polynices, and committed suicide. Under Creon's rule, Hercules was born in Thebes and saw his early exploits, but after achieving great feats for the city and being given Creon's daughter Megara as his wife, Heracles was driven mad by Hera and killed all of her children. During the reign of Laodamas, the surviving son of Eteocles who succeeded Creon, Thebes was attacked by an army led by the Epigoni, the surviving children of the previous seven generals, and was eventually captured, with the city and its walls destroyed.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ギリシア神話の一部。ボイオチア地方の古都テーベを舞台に展開する伝説で，トロイ伝説と並ぶ重要な叙事詩圏を構成し，悲劇にも多くの素材を提供した。カドモスと，彼が退治した竜の歯を地面にまいて誕生させたスパルトイによる市の創建が発端。カドモスは人間の身で，アレスとアフロディテの娘ハルモニアと結婚する光栄に浴するが，ゼウスの愛を受けディオニュソスを妊娠しながら，この子を分娩する前にヘラの嫉妬の犠牲になって頓死をとげるセメレをはじめ，彼の娘たちはみな不幸な目にあう。跡を継いだ孫のペンテウスは，自分のいとこにあたるディオニュソスの信仰が広まるのを阻止しようとして，母や叔母たちに率いられた信女の群れに八つ裂きにされ，そのあとポリュドロス，ラブダコスなど歴代の王はみな若死にして，王位はリュコスの手を経て，ゼウスの種によりアンチオペから生れた双子の兄弟アンフィオンとゼトスのものとなり，彼らによって7つの門をもつ名高い城壁が建造される。しかしこの家もアンフィオンの妻ニオベの暴言が原因で，アポロンとアルテミスの神罰によって根絶される。そのあと王位は，またカドモスの子孫のライオスのものとなるが，彼は神託に予言されたとおり，息子のオイディプスに殺され，知らずに父殺しの罪を犯したオイディプスは，スフィンクスの謎を解いてテーベの王となり，母のイオカステと結婚し，このことが発覚するとイオカステは自殺し，オイディプスは自分の手で盲目となり，諸国を放浪した末，アッチカのコロノスで死ぬ。彼の遺児エテオクレスとポリュネイケスの王位をめぐる争いから7将によるテーベ攻めが起り，この遠征軍は激戦の末撃退されるが，戦闘中にエテオクレスとポリュネイケスは相討ちになってともに死に，そのあと王になったクレオンが敵方の戦死者を弔うのを禁じたことが原因で，この布告にそむき兄弟のポリュネイケスを埋葬しようとして捕えられ，自殺をとげるアンチゴネの悲劇が起る。クレオンの治下にテーベでは，ヘラクレスの誕生とその初期の活躍がみられるが，市のために手柄を立て，クレオンの娘メガラを妻に与えられたヘラクレスは，ヘラによって狂気に陥らされて彼女から生れた子たちを皆殺しにしてしまう。クレオンの跡を継いだエテオクレスの遺児ラオダマスの治世に，テーベは前の7将の遺児であるエピゴノイたちに率いられた軍勢の攻撃を受け，ついに攻略され，市も城壁も破壊されたという。

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