Jason Furman's Reviews > The Seven Against Thebes

Not in the top twenty Greek tragedies but I still liked it. It takes place between Oedipus Rex and Antigone (although doesn't fit exactly since it is not by Sophocles and regardless they all are variants of the same basic story), with an almost thrilling action being described (off stage) as Etocles is defending Thebes' seven gates from seven people attacking it, with the seventh--and leader--being his twin brother Polynices. We are told they are both cursed by fate but unlike other tragedies it does not explore really why or how and none of their actions play into it (although this was the third in a trilogy and is possible more of this was in the missing first and second parts). But by the end both brothers are reported dead--and we're implicitly bracing ourselves for their sister Antigone's actions in the (justifiably) more famous play.

I should say I read this as part of a collection of Three Other Theban Plays: Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes; Euripides' Suppliants; Euripides' Phoenician Women translated by Cecelia Eaton Luschnig. The introduction to this collection was excellent, both about Greek drama in general, the Theban stories, and these plays specifically.