"First shall Pallas stand against him and drive him from this city, even
as a bird driveth a snake from her young ones. And next I have set
Hyperbius, son of Oeneus, to encounter him, being inferior neither in
form nor courage, nor yet in skill of arms, and also dear to Hermes.
Enemies shall they be, bearing also on their shields gods that are
enemies, for Hippomedon hath Typhon, but Hyperbius hath Zeus; and even
as Zeus prevailed over Typhon, so also shall Hyperbius prevail over this
man."

"So be it, O King. Know also that at the north gate is set Parthenopæus
the Arcadian. Very young is he, and fair also to behold, and his mother
was the huntress Atalanta. This man sweareth by his spear, which he
holdeth to be better than all gods whatsoever, that he will lay waste
this city. And on his shield he beareth a device, the Sphinx, which
holdeth in her claws one of the sons of Cadmus."

"Against this Arcadian will I set Actor, brother to Hyperbius, no
boaster but a man of deeds, who will not let this hateful monster, the
Sphinx, pass thus into the city; but will rather make it ill content to
have come hither, so many and fierce blows shall he deal it."

"Hear now of the sixth among the chiefs, the wise soothsayer,
Amphiaraüs. Ill pleased is he with these things, for against Tydeus he
uttereth many reproaches, that he is an evil counsellor to Argos and to
King Adrastus, stirring up strife and slaughter. And to thy brother also
he speaketh in like fashion, saying, 'Is this a thing that the Gods
love, and that men shall praise in the days to come, that thou bringest
a host of strangers to lay waste the city of thy fathers? Shall this
land, if thou subduest it by the spear of the enemy, ever make alliance