The Phoenician Women, pages 114-140 Summary

An armed messenger calls for Jocasta. Eteocles and Polyneices are still alive, and the city gates have held. The messenger tells the story of the battle so far: Creon's son sacrifices himself to Ares. Eteocles sends seven contingents of men to the gates, and the Argive army attacks. The leaders attack the gates. The Thebians fight off the attackers. Periclymenus drops stones from the wall, cracking Parthenopaeus's skull. At the next gate, Tydeus is attacking with spears, but the Thebians fight him off. Eteocles then sees Capaneus trying to climb the next gate on a ladder, and he gets nearly to the top before Zeus strikes him down with lightning. Adrastus retreats, seeing that the gods are against him, and the Thebians push forward, bringing ruin on the attacking forces.

Jocasta is happy to hear...