ETEOCLES  , in

Greek legend, king of Thebes, son of Oedipus and Jocasta (Iocaste) . After their father had been driven out of the country, he and his brother Polyneices agreed to reign alternately for a year . Eteocles, however, refused to keep the agreement, and Polyneices fled to Adrastus, king of Argos, whom he persuaded to undertake the famous expedition against Thebes on his behalf . The two brothers met in single combat, and both were slain . The Theban rulers decreed that only Eteocles should receive the honour of burial, but the decree was set at naught by Antigone (q.v.), the sister of Polyneices . The fate of Eteocles and Polyneices forms the subject of the Seven against Thebes of Aeschylus and the Phoenissae of Euripides .