E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Cadmus
having slain the dragon which guarded the fountain of Dircë, in Bœotia, sowed the teeth of the monster, when a number of armed men sprang up and surrounded Cadmus with intent to kill him. By the counsel of Minerva, he threw a precious stone among the armed men, who, striving for it, killed one another. The foundation of the fable is this: Cadmus having slain a famous free-booter that infested Bœotia, his banditti set upon him to revenge their captain’s death; but Cadmus sent a bribe, for which they quarrelled and slew each other.
