Adrastus
Adrastus was the only survivor of the Seven Against Thebes — he escaped on his divine horse Arion and later led the Epigoni to avenge their fathers.
The Legend of Adrastus
King of Argos and grandson of Bias, Adrastus assembled the Seven against Thebes when Polynices sought his aid against Eteocles. Apollo had warned through Delphi that the campaign would fail, yet Adrastus marched. All seven champions perished save Adrastus, who escaped on his divine horse Arion. He later led the Epigoni — the sons of the fallen — to sack Thebes successfully. His story bridges the Oedipus cycle and the broader Theban saga, connecting the fates of Antigone, Polynices, and the cursed house.
Parents
Talaus and Lysimache
Children
Aegialeus, Argeia, Deipyle
Symbols
Fun Fact
Adrastus is one of Greek myth's great tragic ironists — he survived when he should have died, then his son died when all others survived.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Polynices
🗡 heroPrince who led the Seven Against Thebes
Polynices was the son of Oedipus who raised an army of seven champions to take Thebes from his brother Eteocles — the brothers killed each other in single combat.
Promachus
🗡 heroEpigoni, Vengeance, Thebes
Son of Parthenopaeus and member of the Epigoni who succeeded in sacking Thebes where his father had failed.
Eteocles
🗡 heroKing of Thebes who refused to share
Eteocles was the son of Oedipus who refused to share the throne of Thebes with his brother Polynices, sparking the war of the Seven — and dying in mutual fratricide.
Agamemnon
🗡 heroKing of Mycenae
Agamemnon led the Greek coalition against Troy but was murdered upon return by his wife Clytemnestra.
Neoptolemus
🗡 heroSon of Achilles
Neoptolemus was Achilles' fierce son, brought to Troy because a prophecy declared the city could not fall without him.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroTamer of Pegasus, slayer of the Chimera
The hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and used him to slay the monstrous Chimera. His story is a cautionary tale about hubris.
Phaedimus
🗡 heroTrojan War, Minor Warriors
Son of Priam who fought at Troy and died defending the city in its final hours.
Aeneas
🗡 heroTrojan survivor who founded Rome
Aeneas was a Trojan prince, son of Aphrodite, who survived Troy's fall and became the ancestor of Rome.
Idomeneus
🗡 heroKing of Crete at Troy
Idomeneus was the king of Crete who led eighty ships to Troy and was among the fiercest fighters — his story continued in a vow that cost him his son.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts, seeker of the Golden Fleece
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece. Jason's story is one of ambition, adventure, and tragic betrayal.
Sthenelus the Argive
🗡 heroEpigoni, Trojan War, Chariotry
Son of Capaneus, member of the Epigoni, and Diomedes' charioteer and closest companion at Troy.