Eurydike (1)Eurydice

The wife of Kreon (Creon) who, according to the poet Sophokles (Sophocles), killed herself because of the suicide death of her son, Haemon.

Kreon became king of the city of Thebes after the two sons of Oedipus, Polynikes (Polynices) and Eteokles (Eteocles), were killed in battle; Kreon refused to give Polynikes a proper burial and imprisoned Oedipus’ daughter, Antigone, in a cave when she disobeyed his command and gave Polynikes a proper burial.

Kreon then decided to free Antigone but before he could free her, she had already killed herself; Kreon’s son, Haemon, tried unsuccessfully to kill his father and then, in desperation, killed himself; when Eurydike heard of her son’s death, she too committed suicide.

In the poem, Shield of Herakles (Heracles) by Hesiod, Kreon’s wife is said to be Eniokhe (Enioche); since Hesiod predates Sophokles we should assume that Eniokhe was, in fact, the name of king Kreon’s wife.

• Shield of Herakles, line 83