MESS.  To the very extreme of danger; but the arms of Thebes came off superior to the Mycenaean spear.

JOC.  Tell me one thing, by the Gods, whether thou knowest any thing of
Polynices (since this is a concern to me also) whether he sees the light.

MESS.  Thus far in the day thy pair of children lives.

JOC.  Be thou blest.  But how did ye stationed on the towers drive off the spear of Argos from the gates?  Tell me, that I may go and delight the old blind man in the house with the news of his country’s being preserved.

MESS.  After that the son of Creon, he that died for the land, standing on the summit of the towers, plunged the black-handled sword into his throat, the salvation of this land, thy son placed seven cohorts, and their leaders with them, at the seven gates, guards against the Argive spear; and he drew up the horse ready to support the horse, and the heavy-armed men to reinforce the shield-bearers, so that to the part of the wall which was in danger there might be succor at hand.  But from the lofty citadel we view the army of the Argives with their white shields, having quitted Tumessus and now come near the trench, at full speed they reached the city of the land of Cadmus.  And the paean and the trumpets at the same time from them resounded, and off the walls from us.  And first indeed Parthenopaeus the son of the huntress (Atalanta) led his division horrent with their thick shields against the Neitan[35] gate, having a family device in the middle of his shield, Atalanta destroying the AEtolian boar with her distant-wounding bow.  And against the Praetan gate marched the prophet Amphiaraues, having victims in his car, not bearing an insolent emblem, but modestly having his arms without a device.  But against the Ogygian gate stood Prince Hippomedon, bearing an emblem in the middle of his shield, the Argus gazing with his spangled[36] eyes, [some eyes indeed with the rising of the stars awake,[37] and some with the setting closed, as we had the opportunity of seeing afterward when he was dead.] But Tydeus was drawn up at the Homoloian gate, having on his shield a lion’s skin rough with his mane, but in his right hand he bore a torch, as the Titan Prometheus,[38] intent on firing the city.  But thy son Polynices drew up his array at the Crenean gate; but the swift Potnian mares, the emblem on his shield, were starting through fright, well circularly[39] grouped within the orb at the handle of the shield, so that they seemed infuriated.  But Capaneus, not holding less notions than Mars on the approaching battle, drew up his division against the Electran gate.  Upon the iron embossments of his shield was an earth-born giant bearing upon his shoulders a whole city, which he had torn up from the foundations with bars, an intimation to us what our city should suffer.  But at the seventh gate was Adrastus, having his shield filled with a hundred vipers, bearing on his left arm a representation of