But shortly for to speken of this thyng,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes kyng,
He faught, and slough hym manly as a knyght
In pleyn bataille, and putte the folk to flyght;
And by assaut he wan the citee after,
And rente adoun bothe wall and sparre and rafter.
– Geoffrey Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale. As good as his word, Theseus fulfils his promise to the widows of the men killed by the Theban king Creon. He slays the king in battle, puts his army to flight, tears down the walls of Thebes and wins the city.