batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l8979-l9016
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l8979-l9016
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: THESEUS. / OEDIPUS. / THE SEVEN AGAINST THEBES. / THE EPIGONI.; lines 8979-9016
start: '8979'
end: '9016'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Ten years after the earlier Theban conflict, the sons of the slain heroes,
called the Epigoni, undertake a new expedition against Thebes to avenge their
fathers. The Delphic oracle advises that Alcmaeon command; Thersander bribes Eriphyle
with Harmonia's veil to persuade Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to join. Alcmaeon accepts
command, defeats and kills Laodamas before Thebes, and the Thebans, after consulting
Tiresias, abandon the city by night with their families. The Argives enter and
plunder Thebes and set Thersander on the throne.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The sons of the slain heroes are called Epigoni, or descendants, and resolve
to avenge their fathers by attacking Thebes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Delphic oracle advises that command of the expedition be entrusted to
Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Alcmaeon hesitates to accept command because of his father's injunction concerning
vengeance on his mother Eriphyle.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Thersander, son of Polynices, bribes Eriphyle with the beautiful veil of Harmonia
so that she will induce Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to join the war.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Eriphyle is described as possessing rare irresistible fascination, and Alcmaeon
yields to her representations and accepts command.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Before the gates of Thebes, Alcmaeon fights the Thebans under Laodamas and
kills Laodamas in battle.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: After losing their chief and many warriors, the Thebans consult the blind
old seer Tiresias, who says they can save their lives only by abandoning the city
with their families.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: During nighttime negotiations, the Thebans evacuate the city with wives and
children; the next morning the Argives enter, plunder Thebes, and place Thersander
on the throne.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Epigoni
description: The sons of the slain heroes, called descendants, who undertake the
new expedition against Thebes.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Alcmaeon
description: Son of Amphiaraus; chosen by oracle for command; persuaded by Eriphyle;
kills Laodamas.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Amphiaraus
description: Father of Alcmaeon, whose injunction affects Alcmaeon's hesitation.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Eriphyle
description: Mother of Alcmaeon; bribed with Harmonia's veil; described as irresistibly
persuasive.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Thersander
description: Son of Polynices; bribes Eriphyle and is later placed on the Theban
throne.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Polynices
description: Father of Thersander and prior possessor or bequeather of Harmonia's
veil; his contested throne is mentioned.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Amphilochus
description: Brother of Alcmaeon, whom Eriphyle is to induce to join the second
war against Thebes.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Thebans
description: Defenders of Thebes who retreat, consult Tiresias, evacuate, and lose
the city.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Laodamas
description: Son of Eteocles and Theban commander killed by Alcmaeon.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Eteocles
description: Father of Laodamas.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Tiresias
description: Blind old seer, over a hundred years old, who advises the Thebans to
abandon the city to save their lives.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Argives
description: Victorious attackers who enter and plunder Thebes the next morning.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Theban wives and children
description: Family members who evacuate Thebes with the Thebans at night.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Harmonia
description: Named in relation to the beautiful veil used to bribe Eriphyle.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:15
name_or_label: Cadmus
description: Ancestor of Thersander, mentioned in connection with his placement
on the throne.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: avenging descendants
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: They are sons of slain heroes who resolve to avenge their fathers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: oracle-appointed commander
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The Delphic oracle advises entrusting command to Alcmaeon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: victorious warrior
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Alcmaeon kills Laodamas in battle before Thebes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: father whose injunction binds the son
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Alcmaeon remembers his father's injunction before accepting command.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: persuasive bribed mother
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Eriphyle is bribed with the veil and her representations persuade Alcmaeon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: instigator through bribery
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Thersander bribes Eriphyle to induce Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to join the
war.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: installed ruler
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: After Thebes is taken, Thersander is placed on the throne.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: father and former claimant
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Polynices is father of Thersander and is described as having vainly contested
the throne.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:9
label: besieged evacuees
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The Thebans retreat, seek Tiresias' counsel, and evacuate the city.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:10
label: defending Theban commander
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Laodamas commands the Thebans in the battle before the city gates.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:11
label: seer and survival adviser
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: Tiresias tells the Thebans how they may save their lives.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:12
label: victorious plunderers
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: The Argives enter Thebes and plunder it after the evacuation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:13
label: ancestral legitimating figure
assigned_to:
- fig:15
basis: Thersander's descent from Cadmus is mentioned when he is placed on the throne.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: veil of Harmonia
literal_form: Beautiful veil of Harmonia used as a bribe to Eriphyle.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:14
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: Delphic oracle
literal_form: Oracle whose advice determines the command of the expedition.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: gates and walls of Thebes
literal_form: The gates before which the battle occurs and the city walls behind
which the Thebans retreat.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: Theban throne
literal_form: The throne on which Thersander is placed after Thebes is plundered.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:15
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Epigoni undertake vengeance expedition
summary: Ten years after the earlier events, the sons of the slain heroes decide
to avenge their fathers by attacking Thebes.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Oracle command and bribery of Eriphyle
summary: The Delphic oracle names Alcmaeon as commander; Thersander bribes Eriphyle
with Harmonia's veil to persuade Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to join the war.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:14
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Battle before Thebes
summary: Alcmaeon fights the Thebans under Laodamas before the gates, and Laodamas
is killed.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Prophetic counsel and evacuation of Thebes
summary: The Thebans consult Tiresias, who advises abandoning the city with families
in order to live; they evacuate during the night while negotiations continue.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:11
- fig:13
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Argive entry, plunder, and enthronement
summary: The Argives enter and plunder Thebes the next morning and place Thersander
on the throne contested by his father.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:12
- fig:15
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sons avenge slain fathers
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Epigoni are explicitly described as sons of slain heroes who resolve
to avenge their fathers through a new expedition.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: This is a passage-level revenge pattern; no supplied taxonomy family directly
names revenge.
- id: motif:2
label: prophetic guidance determines collective action
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The Delphic oracle determines the expedition's commander, and Tiresias' counsel
determines the Thebans' evacuation for survival.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference 'wisdom' is broad; the passage specifically concerns
oracular and seer advice.
- id: motif:3
label: bribe by precious garment persuades kin to war
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Thersander gives Eriphyle Harmonia's beautiful veil to induce her sons to
join the second war against Thebes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes bribery and persuasion but does not assign sacred
status to the veil beyond its named association with Harmonia.
- id: motif:4
label: abandonment of city to preserve life
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Tiresias tells the Thebans they can save their lives only by abandoning the
city with wives and families, and they evacuate by night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference 'departure' is broad; this is a strategic evacuation
rather than a hero's quest departure.
- id: motif:5
label: conquest followed by contested royal installation
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: After Thebes is entered and plundered, Thersander, son of Polynices and descendant
of Cadmus, is placed on the throne his father had contested.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage mentions descent and succession, but it does not elaborate
a formal legitimating rite.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 8979-8983
quote_or_summary: The Epigoni, sons of the slain heroes, resolve ten years later
to avenge their fathers by a new expedition against Thebes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 8984-8991
quote_or_summary: The Delphic oracle advises that Alcmaeon command; he hesitates
because of his father's injunction; Thersander bribes Eriphyle with Harmonia's
veil to induce Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to join the war.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 8992-8998
quote_or_summary: Eriphyle is described as irresistibly fascinating; Alcmaeon yields
to her representations and accepts command of the army against Thebes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 8999-9003
quote_or_summary: Before the gates of Thebes, Alcmaeon meets the Thebans under Laodamas;
a fierce battle follows, and Laodamas dies by Alcmaeon's hand.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 9004-9010
quote_or_summary: After losing their leader and many warriors, the Thebans retreat
behind the walls and consult the blind old seer Tiresias, who says they can save
their lives only by abandoning the city with wives and families.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 9010-9016
quote_or_summary: The Thebans send ambassadors to prolong negotiations, evacuate
by night with wives and children, and the next morning the Argives enter and plunder
Thebes, placing Thersander on the throne.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward from the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy
assignments are cautious because several available motif families are broad relative
to the passage details. No comparison claims were made because the passage itself
does not compare traditions or motif families.
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: |-
Only the provided passage and metadata were used; comparison_claims left empty because no explicit comparative claim is supported by the passage.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l8979-l9016
passage_sha256=2a1efe3bf7fc99de62e22f5edc644b9c80bd29aa5c6c1f231ac31abae9b99c5e