But in the larger civic context of the country he led, he could refuse those rites to a traitor. As head of the family, he was obliged by religious custom to oversee the burial of his nephew. Refusing burial rites to traitors was not unheard of in Sophocles’ time it was an accepted means of quashing sympathizers.īut not burying a relative was different.Ĭreon’s situation was out of the ordinary. ‘Oedipus Cursing His Son, Polynices’ Henry Fuseli, painter Paul Mellon Collection, National Gallery of Art Family vs. Anyone caught trying to bury him will be executed. His body is to be left rotting in the sun and preyed upon by vultures and scavenging dogs. With both heirs to the throne dead, their uncle Creon declared himself king, as was his right.Ĭreon then makes a shocking decree: No one is to perform funeral rites for Polyneices, because he was a traitor. Polyneices’ allies were driven off, leaving his corpse outside the city walls. As their father said would happen, the brothers died at each other’s hands.
Polyneices returned with a small band of warriors Eteocles fought him with the city’s army. Before his death, Oedipus cursed his two sons, saying that they would die at each other’s hands. But Eteocles exiled Polyneices and made himself sole ruler. Oedipus, the Greek king, is Antigone’s, Etocles’ and Polyneices’ father.Īfter Oedipus was banished from the city, Antigone’s two brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, were meant to share the kingship. The play begins only hours after the end of a civil war and is set in Thebes’ royal household. Painting by Nikiforos Lytras National Gallery and Alexander Soutsos Museum, Athens Greece Shocking decree Antigone confronted with the dead Polynices.
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