Sown-Men
group · 3 works · 4 mentions · 9 anchored passages
Spartoi · Sown Men · Sown-men · children of the earth · earth-born crop · earth-born giants · earth-born men · sons of Earth · sons of the dragon's teeth · the Sown men
spoken of as
2 expressionsSons of Cadmus / Spartoi“sown men”1 mention
Phoenissae (Greek)
O Earth, you once bore—as I heard, I heard the story told by foreigners once in my own home—you bore a race which sprang of the teeth of a snake with blood-red crest, that fed on beasts, to be the glory and reproach of Thebes.
The Sown Men“Spartoi”1 mention
Orations (Greek)
It would suit his stature and his manliness, if indeed they were fair and kindly in their natures, as this youth is, and not utterly hard and savage, the children of the earth;
in the texts
Phoenissae
The legendary race sprung from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus, of whom Menoeceus is named the last pure-blooded survivor required for sacrifice.
If the earth receives fruit for fruit and human blood for blood, you shall find her kind to you again, who once sent up to us a crop of Sown-men with golden helmets;
Now you are our only survivor of the Sown race, pure-blooded both on your mother’s and your father’s side, you and your sons.
there are enough of the Sown-men who lie dead.
Orations
The mythical armed men sprung from dragon's teeth sown at Thebes, ancestors of the Theban nobility.
It would suit his stature and his manliness, if indeed they were fair and kindly in their natures, as this youth is, and not utterly hard and savage, the children of the earth;
Heracles
The mythic earth-born warriors sprung from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus, ancestors of the Theban people and the aged Chorus.
Who lived here in Thebes, where from the sowing of the dragon’s teeth grew up a crop of earth-born giants;
where the earth-born crop sprang to view, a warrior-host with shields of brass, who are handing on their realm to children’s children, a divine light to Thebes.
—You sons of Earth, whom Ares once sowed, when from the dragon’s ravening jaw he had torn the teeth, up with your staves, on which you lean your hands, and dash out this villain’s brains!