THE STORY OF ANTIGONE.


When the two brothers, the sons of King Oedipus, had fallen each by
the hand of the other, the kingdom fell to Creon their uncle. For not
only was he the next of kin to the dead, but also the people held him in
great honour because his son Menoeceus had offered himself with a
willing heart that he might deliver his city from captivity. Now when
Creon was come to the throne, he made a proclamation about the two
Princes, commanding that they should bury Eteocles with all honour,
seeing that he died as beseemed a good man and a brave, doing battle for
his country, that it should not be delivered into the hands of the
enemy; but as for Polynices he bade them leave his body to be devoured
by the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field, because he had
joined himself to the enemy, and would have beaten down the walls of
the city, and burned the temples of the Gods with fire, and led the
people captive. Also he commanded that if any man should break this
decree he should suffer death by stoning.

Now Antigone, who was sister to the two Princes, heard that the decree
had gone forth, and chancing to meet her sister Ismené before the gates
of the palace, spake to her, saying, "O my sister, hast thou heard this
decree that the King hath put forth concerning our brethren that are
dead?"

Then Ismené made answer, "I have heard nothing, my sister, only that we
are bereaved of both of our brethren in one day, and that the army of
the Argives is departed in this night that is now past. So much I know,
but no more."