batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l7681-l7705
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l7681-l7705
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: THE WAR OF THE TITANS / THE STORY OF OEDIPUS / THE THEBAID / THE EPIGONI;
lines 7681-7705
start: '7681'
end: '7705'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: And now, Muses, let us begin to sing of younger men.
summary: 'The passage gives fragments about the Epigoni: an opening invocation to
the Muses; an account of the Teumesian fox sent by the gods against Cadmus'' descendants,
pursued by Cephalus'' inescapable hound and ending with both animals turned to
stone; and an account of Manto, daughter of Teiresias, sent to Delphi by the Epigoni
and then, by Apollo''s oracle, marrying Rhacius and grieving at Colophon for her
ruined country.'
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The Epigoni is described as a poem of seven thousand verses that begins with
an invocation to the Muses and the subject of younger men.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Writers on Theban affairs are said to give a full account of the Teumesian
fox.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The Teumesian fox is said to have been sent by the gods to punish the descendants
of Cadmus.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The Thebans excluded members of the house of Cadmus from kingship because
of the divine punishment connected with the fox.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Cephalus, son of Deion and an Athenian, owned a hound from which no beast
ever escaped.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Cephalus had accidentally killed his wife Procris and was purified of the
homicide by the Cadmeans.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Cephalus hunted the Teumesian fox with his hound.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: When the hound and fox had overtaken one another, both were turned into stones
near Teumessus.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The story of the Teumesian fox is attributed by these writers to the Epic
Cycle.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: Manto, daughter of Teiresias, was sent to Delphi by the Epigoni as a first
fruit of their spoil.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: According to an oracle of Apollo, Manto went out and met Rhacius, son of Lebes,
a Mycenaean by race.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:12
text: Manto married Rhacius because the oracle commanded her to marry whomever she
met.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: Manto came to Colophon and wept over the destruction of her country.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Muses
description: Divine addressees in the opening invocation of the Epigoni.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: younger men
description: The announced subject of the Epigoni's opening song.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Teumesian fox
description: A creature sent by the gods to punish the descendants of Cadmus.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: gods
description: Divine senders of the Teumesian fox as punishment.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: descendants of Cadmus / house of Cadmus
description: The group punished by the gods and excluded by the Thebans from kingship.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Thebans
description: The group that excluded those of the house of Cadmus from kingship.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Cephalus
description: Son of Deion, an Athenian, owner of the inescapable hound; he had accidentally
killed Procris and hunted the fox after purification.
role_refs:
- role:9
- role:10
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Deion
description: Father of Cephalus.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: hound
description: Cephalus' hound, from which no beast ever escaped, used to hunt the
Teumesian fox.
role_refs:
- role:13
- role:14
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Procris
description: Wife of Cephalus, accidentally killed by him.
role_refs:
- role:15
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Cadmeans
description: The group that purified Cephalus of homicide.
role_refs:
- role:16
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Manto
description: Daughter of Teiresias, sent to Delphi by the Epigoni, recipient of
Apollo's oracle, wife of Rhacius, and mourner for her country.
role_refs:
- role:17
- role:18
- role:19
- role:20
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Teiresias
description: Father of Manto.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Epigoni
description: Group that sent Manto to Delphi as a first fruit of their spoil.
role_refs:
- role:21
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:15
name_or_label: Apollo
description: Deity whose oracle directed Manto's encounter and marriage.
role_refs:
- role:22
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:16
name_or_label: Rhacius
description: Son of Lebes, Mycenaean by race, met and married by Manto in accordance
with Apollo's oracle.
role_refs:
- role:23
- role:24
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:17
name_or_label: Lebes
description: Father of Rhacius.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: invoked divine singers
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The poem's opening calls on the Muses to begin singing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: announced heroic generation
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The opening says the song concerns younger men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: divinely sent punishing creature
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The creature was sent by the gods to punish Cadmus' descendants.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: pursued creature transformed to stone
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The fox was hunted and then turned into stone near Teumessus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: divine punishers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods sent the fox to punish the descendants of Cadmus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: punished lineage
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The descendants of Cadmus were the target of the punishment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: excluded royal house
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The Thebans excluded those of the house of Cadmus from kingship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:8
label: excluders from kingship
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The Thebans excluded the house of Cadmus from kingship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:9
label: hound-owner
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Cephalus owned the hound that no beast escaped.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:10
label: accidental killer and purified homicide
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Cephalus accidentally killed Procris and was purified by the Cadmeans.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:11
label: hunter of the fox
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Cephalus hunted the fox with his hound.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:12
label: named father
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:13
- fig:17
basis: Deion is named as Cephalus' father, Teiresias as Manto's father, and Lebes
as Rhacius' father.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:13
label: inescapable pursuing hound
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: No beast ever escaped the hound.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:14
label: pursuer transformed to stone
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The hound and fox were both turned into stones.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:15
label: accidentally killed wife
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Procris is named as Cephalus' wife and the person he accidentally killed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:16
label: purifiers of homicide
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: The Cadmeans purified Cephalus of the homicide.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:17
label: dedicated spoil or first fruit
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Manto was sent to Delphi as a first fruit of the Epigoni's spoil.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:18
label: oracle-directed bride
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Apollo's oracle commanded her to marry whomever she met, and she married
Rhacius.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:19
label: daughter of Teiresias
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Manto is called the daughter of Teiresias.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:20
label: mourner for destroyed country
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: At Colophon she wept over the destruction of her country.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:21
label: dedicators of spoil
assigned_to:
- fig:14
basis: The Epigoni sent Manto to Delphi as a first fruit of their spoil.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:22
label: oracular deity
assigned_to:
- fig:15
basis: The oracle of Apollo commanded Manto's meeting and marriage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:23
label: oracle-appointed husband
assigned_to:
- fig:16
basis: Manto met and married Rhacius in accordance with the oracle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:24
label: Mycenaean by race
assigned_to:
- fig:16
basis: Rhacius is described as Mycenaean by race.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Teumesian fox
literal_form: fox / creature
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: inescapable hound
literal_form: hound
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: stones near Teumessus
literal_form: stones
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: kingship exclusion
literal_form: kingship
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: first fruit of spoil
literal_form: first fruit / spoil
associated_figures:
- fig:12
- fig:14
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: Delphi
literal_form: sanctuary or destination named Delphi
associated_figures:
- fig:12
- fig:14
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:7
label: oracle of Apollo
literal_form: oracle
associated_figures:
- fig:12
- fig:15
- fig:16
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:8
label: destroyed country
literal_form: destroyed country
associated_figures:
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Opening invocation of the Epigoni
summary: The poem is said to begin by asking the Muses to sing of younger men.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Divine punishment of Cadmus' descendants
summary: The Teumesian fox is sent by the gods to punish Cadmus' descendants, and
the Thebans exclude Cadmus' house from kingship.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Cephalus and the petrified animals
summary: Cephalus, after accidental homicide and purification, hunts the fox with
his inescapable hound; when hound and fox overtake each other, both become stones
near Teumessus.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:7
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Manto sent to Delphi and married by oracle
summary: The Epigoni send Manto to Delphi as a first fruit of spoil; Apollo's oracle
directs her to meet and marry the first person she encounters, Rhacius; afterward
she grieves at Colophon for her country's destruction.
figure_refs:
- fig:12
- fig:13
- fig:14
- fig:15
- fig:16
- fig:17
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: divinely sent punishing creature
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: The gods send the Teumesian fox to punish the descendants of Cadmus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The fragment gives only a compressed secondary summary of the fuller story.
- id: motif:2
label: loss or denial of royal legitimacy after divine punishment
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The Thebans exclude the house of Cadmus from kingship because of the punishment
involving the fox.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The reason is reported indirectly through writers on Theban affairs.
- id: motif:3
label: inescapable pursuer and quarry immobilized by transformation
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A hound from which no beast escapes pursues the fox, and both hound and fox
are turned into stones near Teumessus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No cause or agent of the transformation is specified in the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: purification after accidental homicide
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Cephalus accidentally kills Procris and is purified of the homicide by the
Cadmeans before hunting the fox.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The ritual details of purification are not given.
- id: motif:5
label: person sent as first fruit of war spoil to a sanctuary
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Manto is sent to Delphi by the Epigoni as a first fruit of their spoil.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explain the ritual mechanics or whether Manto is
an offering, captive, or dedication in a fuller sense.
- id: motif:6
label: oracle-commanded marriage to first-met stranger
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Apollo's oracle commands Manto to marry whomever she meets, and she marries
Rhacius after meeting him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports the command and marriage but gives little narrative
context.
- id: motif:7
label: mourning after destruction of homeland
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Manto, at Colophon, is cast down and weeps over the destruction of her country.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The destroyed country is not named within this excerpt.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The Teumesian fox account is explicitly said to have been taken by these
writers from the Epic Cycle.
claim_level: same_motif
target: Epic Cycle account of the Teumesian fox
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The excerpt does not quote the Epic Cycle version or provide enough
detail to compare variants beyond reported source attribution.
- id: claim:2
claim: The Manto episode is attributed to authors of the Thebais in a scholion,
placing the oracle-directed marriage and Delphi dedication within Theban epic
tradition as reported here.
claim_level: same_function
target: Thebais / Theban epic tradition
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage is a fragmentary report through a scholion and does not
supply the original epic wording.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 7681-7685
quote_or_summary: 'The Epigoni is said to be seven thousand verses and begins: "And
now, Muses, let us begin to sing of younger men."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; short excerpt used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 7686-7692
quote_or_summary: Writers on Theban affairs describe the Teumesian fox as sent by
the gods to punish Cadmus' descendants; the Thebans therefore exclude the house
of Cadmus from kingship.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 7692-7698
quote_or_summary: Cephalus, son of Deion and an Athenian, owned a hound no beast
escaped; after accidentally killing Procris and being purified by the Cadmeans,
he hunted the fox with the hound.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 7698-7700
quote_or_summary: When the hound and fox had overtaken each other, both became stones
near Teumessus; the writers are said to have taken the story from the Epic Cycle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 7701-7704
quote_or_summary: Authors of the Thebais say Manto, daughter of Teiresias, was sent
to Delphi by the Epigoni as a first fruit of spoil and, by Apollo's oracle, met
Rhacius son of Lebes, a Mycenaean.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 7704-7705
quote_or_summary: The oracle commanded Manto to marry whomever she met; she married
Rhacius, came to Colophon, and wept over the destruction of her country.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Named figures and events are explicit, but the passage is a set of fragmentary
notices and summaries rather than continuous narrative; motif labels beyond literal
events require review.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the provided passage and metadata. Taxonomy refs were limited to supplied available motif families and symbols; no symbol taxonomy refs matched the literal fox, hound, stones, oracle, or spoil items.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg__l7681-l7705
passage_sha256=eeb1ed8367c7ec4ca053d767dc608aece49f505146e71dca55358a580417371a