CREON, son of Menæceus, ascended the throne of Thebes at the death of Laius, who had married his daughter Jocasta. Alarmed by the ravages of the Sphinx, Creon offered his crown and his daughter in marriage to any who could solve the enigma propounded by the monster. Oedipus having accomplished the task, accordingly ascended the throne of Thebes, and married Jocasta, unconscious that she was his mother. By her he had two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who mutually agreed, after their father's death, to reign in alternate years. Eteocles first ascended the throne by right of seniority; but having refused to resign at the appointed time, his brother attacked him at the head of an army of Argives. The war was decided by a single combat between the two brothers, who killed each other, and Creon governed during the nonage of Leodamus, the son of Eteocles. In this capacity he ordained that the Argives, and more particularly Polynices, who was the cause of all the bloodshed, should remain unburied; and that any who infringed this decree should be buried alive. Antigone, the sister of Polynices, disobeyed the edict by sprinkling dust upon her brother's body, and was punished accordingly. On this, Hæmon, the son of Creon, who was passionately fond of Antigone, killed himself on her grave; and Creon was afterwards killed by Theseus, who made war against him to avenge his inhumanity towards the Argives.