While studying Jonah, I often recall another person called to a difficult task by God: Cadmus, the founder of the Greek City of Thebes.

Cadmus was a prince of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, in what is now Lebanon. When Cadmus’ sister, Europa, was kidnapped, Cadmus and his two brothers went to find her. His brothers soon gave up the search, but Cadmus sailed on to Greece. Once in Greece, Cadmus visited a prophetess in city of Delphi who told him that his sister was well and happy and that he should abandon his search. The prophetess also gave Cadmus God’s command that he should remain in Greece and found a new kingdom. A snow-white cow would lead him to a place for the city he should build.

Cadmus did as he was told, following the cow a great distance to the middle of a lush plain. The cow lay down a short walk from a bubbling spring that would be an ideal source of fresh water for Cadmus’ new city. Cadmus and his men made camp near the cow, and Cadmus sent one of his men to draw water from the spring. When the man did not return, Cadmus sent another, and then another, and then led a party of men to find the first three. When Cadmus and his remaining men came to the spring, they encountered a ferocious dragon. The men fought with all their might, and eventually the dragon fell dead, but Cadmus was the only survivor.

Sorrowfully, Cadmus buried his beloved comrades, weeping bitterly for the hopelessness of his plight. At dawn he rose and sacrificed the cow, which he offered as a burnt offering with prayers to God. God heard Cadmus’ prayers, and the voice of Holy Wisdom spoke in Cadmus’ ear.

“Plow a field,” said the voice, “and sow the dragon’s teeth in the furrows.”

Cadmus thought that this command was odd, but he obeyed. No sooner had Cadmus completed his task than a legion of fully armored warriors began to spring up from the earth.

“Quickly,” said the voice of Wisdom to the terrified Cadmus, “throw a stone in among the warriors!”

Cadmus threw a stone, hitting one of the warriors. This warrior immediately turned upon one of his fellows, accusing him of casting the stone. Soon furious fighting broke out among all the warriors, and they fought until all but five men were slain. The five survivors all lay wounded about the edge of the battlefield. Cadmus nursed them back to health, and these men helped Cadmus to found the great city of Thebes.

Thebes grew prosperous, and became a center of learning for all of Greece, for Cadmus had brought the first alphabet with him from Phoenicia.

Though there are many interpretations to this story, I have long connected it to Jesus’ Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-11, Lk 6:20-23): “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” The five warriors that survived the melee might have been the fastest and strongest, but I have always thought it more likely that they were merely attempting to back out of the fray. Civilization is built by those who can navigate through violence, to reach peace on the far side. Cadmus and his comrades built a great city, but they also brought literacy to Greece.