son of Menecetus, was father of Jocasta, the wife and mother of Œdipus. At the death of Laïus, who had married Jocasta, Creon ascended the vacant throne of Thebes. But as the ravages of the Sphinx were intolerable, Creon offered his crown and his daughter in marriage to him who could explain the enigmas which the monster proposed. Œdipus was happy in his explanations, and having ascended the throne of Thebes, he married Jocasta without knowing that she was his mother, and by her had two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, who mutually agreed, after their father's death, to reign alternately a year each. Eteocles first ascended the throne by right of seniority; but when he was once in power he refused to resign at the appointed time, and his brother led against him an army of Argives to support his right. The war was decided by a single combat between the two brothers, who killed each other, and Creon ascended the throne until Leodamus, the son of Eteocles, should be of sufficient age to assume the reins of government. In his regal capacity, he ordained that the Argives, and more particularly Polyneices, who was the cause of all the bloodshed, should remain unburied; and if this was in any manner disobeyed, that the offenders should be buried alive. Antigone, the sister of Polyneices, transgressed, and was punished accordingly. Hamón, the son of Creon, who was passionately fond of Antigone, killed himself on her grave when his father refused to grant her pardon. Creon was afterwards killed by Theseus, who had made war against him because he refused burial to the Argives.