Then said the chief of the old men, “Consider, O King, for haply this thing is from the Gods.”

But the King cried, “Thinkest thou that the Gods care for such an one as this dead man, who would have burnt their temples with fire, and laid waste the land which they love, and set at naught the laws?  Not so.  But there are men in this city who have long time had ill will to me, not bowing their necks to my yoke; and they have persuaded these fellows with money to do this thing.  Surely there never was so evil a thing as money, which maketh cities into ruinous heaps, and banisheth men from their houses, and turneth their thoughts from good unto evil.  But as for them that have done this deed for hire, of a truth they shall not escape, for I say to thee, fellow, if ye bring not here before my eyes the man that did this thing, I will hang you up alive.  So shall ye learn that ill gains bring no profit to a man.”

So the guard departed; but as he went he said to himself, “Now may the Gods grant that the man be found; but however this may be, thou shalt not see me come again on such errand as this, for even now have I escaped beyond all hope.”  Notwithstanding, after a space he came back with one of his fellows; and they brought with them the maiden Antigone, with her hands bound together.  And it chanced that at the same time King Creon came forth from the palace.  Then the guard set forth the thing to him, saying, “We cleared away the dust from the dead body, and sat watching it.  And when it was now noon, and the sun was at his height, there came a whirlwind over the plain, driving a great cloud of dust.  And when this had passed, we looked, and lo! this maiden whom we have brought hither stood by the dead corpse.  And when she saw that it lay bare as before, she sent up an exceeding bitter cry, even as a bird whose young ones have been taken from the nest.  Then she cursed them that had done this deed; and brought dust and sprinkled it upon the dead man, and poured water upon him three times.  Then we ran and laid hold upon her, and accused her that she had done this deed; and she denied it not.  But as for me, ’tis well to have escaped from death, but it is ill to bring friends into the same.  Yet I hold that there is nothing dearer to a man than his life.”

Then said the King to Antigone, “Tell me in a word, didst thou know my decree?”

“I knew it.  Was it not plainly declared?”

“How daredst thou to transgress the laws?”

“Zeus made not such laws, nor Justice that dwelleth with the Gods below.  I judged not that thy decrees had such authority that a man should transgress for them the unwritten sure commandments of the Gods.  For these, indeed, are not of to-day or yesterday, but they live for ever, and their beginning no man knoweth.  Should I, for fear of thee, be found guilty against them?  That I should die I knew.  Why not?  All men must die.  And if I die before my time, what loss?  He who liveth among many sorrows, even as I have lived, counteth it gain to die.  But had I left my own mother’s son unburied, this had been loss indeed.”