In
Greek mythology, Polyphontes (
Ancient Greek: Πολυφόντης) was the son of
Autophonus, a warrior who figured in
Polynices' war to regain the throne of
Thebes from his brother,
Eteocles.
Mythology
Polyphontes was mentioned in Book IV of the ''
Iliad'', when
Agamemnon reminds
Diomedes
Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; grc-gre, Διομήδης, Diomēdēs, "god-like cunning" or "advised by ...
of the deeds of his father
Tydeus. In Agamemnon's story, Tydeus was an ally of Polynices. He entered Thebes, and challenged and defeated all the Theban leaders. Eteocles then sent Polyphontes and
Maion with fifty men to ambush Tydeus on his way back to his army, but Tydeus killed all of them except Maion. In some translations the name is given as Lycophontes.
In
Aeschylus' play ''
Seven Against Thebes'', however, Polyphontes is one of the seven Theban defenders who face the Argive champions at Thebes' gates. He faces
Capaneus
In Greek mythology, Capaneus (; Ancient Greek: Καπανεύς ''Kapaneús'') was a son of Hipponous and either Astynome (daughter of Talaus) or Laodice (daughter of Iphis), and husband of Evadne, with whom he fathered Sthenelus. Some call his w ...
at the Electran gates.
[Aeschylus. ''Seven Against Thebes'', line 449.]
Notes
References
Characters in Seven against Thebes
*
Aeschylus, translated in two volumes. 1. ''Seven Against Thebes'' by Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph. D. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website
* Homer, ''The Iliad'' with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Homer, ''Homeri Opera'' in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
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