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Eteocles

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Son of Oedipus and Jocasta who fought his brother Polynices in single combat over the throne of Thebes, fulfilling their father's curse as both brothers killed each other simultaneously.

Detailed Definition
Eteocles broke his pact with Polynices, leading to their mutual fratricide. His story is central to Theban tragedy. Poets use Eteocles to explore themes of oath-breaking, civil war, and the curse of lineage in epic and tragic poetry, especially in the Seven Against Thebes cycle.
Example
Example in poetry:
Eteocles, son of Oedipus who died fighting brother Polynices, appears in Aeschylus’s Seven Against Thebes; Poets use Eteocles to explore fraternal strife and civic duty; His mutual patricide with Polynices symbolizes cursed legacy; “Eteocles’ oath” might describe doomed loyalty; His death marks Thebes’ tragic cycle.
Additional Notes
Eteocles and Polynices, Oedipus’s sons, kill each other in the war for Thebes—fulfilling their father’s curse. Their mutual fratricide is central to Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes and Sophocles’ Antigone. They embody the destructiveness of pride and civil war. Poets invoke them to explore familial duty, political legitimacy, and the tragic consequences of broken oaths.
Also Known As
Eteocles|Eteokles
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