how did oedipus become king of thebes

Thebes is menaced rather than protected by the heavens. A boy leads in the blind prophet Tiresias. In most traditions, Jocasta/Epicasta hangs herself, but according to Seneca she stabs herself with a sword. Updates? his adoptive mother? The king criticizes Tiresiass powers wildly and insults his blindness, but Tiresias only responds that the insults will eventually be turned on Oedipus by all of Thebes. London: Methuen, 1929. Homer: Oedipus is briefly mentioned in both the Iliad and the Odyssey (eighth century BCE), where his mother is called Epicasta rather than Jocasta. He discovered that the old man he had killed was his true father, Laius, and that the queen he had married was his mother. To avoid this fate, he fled from Corinth and Traveled to Thebes. And thus he would (or at least could) have avoided killing his father and fulfilling the prophecy. Homer related that Oedipuss wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. A shepherd took pity on the infant, who was adopted by King Polybus of Corinth and his wife and was brought up as their son. This kind, named Polybus, raised Oedipus as his own son. According to some traditions, Jocasta did not kill herself until much later, after the deaths of her sons Eteocles and Polyneices. Discount, Discount Code It sat outside the cursed citys walls as a punishment from the gods. Only in the final scene of Oedipus the King, when Creon's short lines demonstrate his eagerness to exile Oedipus and separate him from his children, do we see that the title of king is what Creon desires above all. on Greek Mythological Story of How Oedipus Became the King of Thebes. In reward, he received the throne of Thebes and the hand of the widowed queen, his mother, Jocasta. He left their daughters, Antigone and Ismene, in the care of Creon and headed into bitter exile. London: Penguin, 1955. Rota Otimis novel The Gods Are Not to Blame (1971) is an adaptation of the myth set in a Yoruba kingdom (originally published as a play in 1968). He marries the queen, Jocasta, who is unaware that she is actually Oedipus' mother. Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.26.3. The devastating plague that dominates Thebes is presented to the audience through the dialogue between Oedipus and the Priest (lines 1-67) (2,3).The king has already taken some action to deal with this harm by sending his brother-in-law, Creon, to the oracle at Delphi . Comments Off on Greek Mythological Story of How Oedipus Became the King of Thebes. Summary of Oedipus Rex Prologue Many years after Oedipus has become the King of Thebes by saving the city from a vicious monster called the Sphinx, a plague of infertility has stricken "the fruitful blossoms of the land, the herds among the pastures, the barren pangs of women."In the name of a group of suppliants, a Priest of Zeus approaches the city's favorite son with a plea . What caused the downfall of Oedipus in Oedipus the King pride or anger? According to one version of the story, Laius, king of Thebes, was warned by an oracle that his son would slay him. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. As Oedipus grows angrier, he taunts Tiresias for his blindness, confusing physical sight and insight, or knowledge. If we think along the same lines as the first, more famous riddle, which talks of times of day, that might help. Creon, a brand name of a pancreatic enzymes medication; Places. The messages they impart are therefore timeless and universal, and this helps to explain why, more than two millennia after they were first written down, they remain such an important influence on Western culture. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. In every version of the Oedipus myth, the common element here is that Oedipus is rescued, and taken in by a king who has no children of his own. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Watch the exchange between self-blinded Oedipus and Creon in Sophocles' Greek tragedy, From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oedipus-Greek-mythology, Perseus Digital Library - A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology - Oe'dipus, World History Encyclopedia - Oedipus the King, Oedipus - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [27] In time, the curse was fulfilled: Eteocles and Polyneices quarreled over which one of them should rule Thebes and ultimately killed each other in battle. Oedipus represents two enduring themes of Greek myth and drama: the flawed nature of humanity and an individual's role in the course of destiny in a harsh universe. His first act was to pierce the ankles of Oedipus to cripple him. Oedipus, in a rage, removed the gold pins from the dress of his wife and mother and blinded himself with them. Written by GreekBoston.com in Greek Mythology Of course, Oedipus doesn't know Laius was the man he'd killed on the road. SparkNotes PLUS The most famous one, youll remember, asked What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at midday, and three legs in the evening? The answer is man because we are born as babies that crawl on all fours, walk on two legs as adults when in the prime of life (midday), and then walk with an artificial third leg, a walking stick, in old age or the evening of our lives. 470 BCE). Jocasta did give birth to a son, and to prevent the son from killing him, King Laius bound his feet and ankles together so he couldnt move. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Sometimes it can end up there. Heres a closer look. What is it that has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed? The Greek myths are over two thousand years old and perhaps, in their earliest forms, much older and yet many stories from Greek mythology, and phrases derived from those stories, are part of our everyday speech. While traveling, he encountered a Sphinx who asked him the same riddle that he had asked everyone who journeyed to Thebes. Both Creon and the leader of the Chorus try to get Oedipus to understand that hes concocting fantasies, but Oedipus is resolute in his conclusions and his fury. The line of succession was not clear, and Polynices and Eteocles started quarreling about their claim to the throne. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In fact, although we have followed the most famous version of the Oedipus story above, and called his mother Jocasta, she is only so named in the tragedies that is, in the plays about Oedipus. Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud chose the term Oedipus complex to designate a sons feeling of love toward his mother and of jealousy and hate toward his father, although those were not emotions that motivated Oedipuss actions or determined his character in any ancient version of the story. Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 48 (reported in the scholia on Euripides Phoenician Women 53); Eustathius on Homers Iliad 4.376; scholia on Homers Iliad 4.376. Answer the riddle correctly, and he would be allowed to continue to Thebes. King Laius received an oracle before Oedipus birth claiming that a male child produced by Laius would kill him. Meaning and Healing Properties. The Cults and the Legend of Oedipus. Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 85 (1981): 22138. When Oedipus grew up and reached adulthood, he left home, and his adoptive parents, behind. Scholia on Sophocles Oedipus at Colonus 91. Vatican Museums, Vatican. Creon asks Oedipus to be rational, but Oedipus says that he wants Creon murdered. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. See Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 391ff; Euripides, Phoenician Women 45ff; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 4.64.4; Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.26.2; Apollodorus, Library 3.5.8; Hyginus, Fabulae 67; etc. Long before the play begins, Oedipus became king of Thebes by solving the riddle of the Sphinx. What problems does Thebes have? 5. Smith, William. He didnt know that the man he had killed had been Laius. Some editing issues at this point though? And Laius was killed by robbers on the road, so that prophecy was clearly false. After killing the king, Oedipus continued his journey. When Oedipus asked Polybus about this, Polybus confirmed that he was not his biological father. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The death of King Laius would send a plague to Thebes until his killer was made responsible. While the old man moves to strike the insolent youth with his sceptre, Oedipus throws the man down from his chariot, killing him. In the tragedians version of the tale, it is Oedipus hubris, his pride, that contributes to the altercation on the road between him and Laius, the man who turns out to be his real father: if Oedipus was less stubborn, he would have played the bigger man and stepped aside to let Laius pass. Apollodorus, Library 3.5.8. In the common tradition, Jocasta killed herself, while Oedipus blinded himself.[18]. Oedipus is a man of swift action and great insight. The prophecy, however, was not the expected; the oracle told him that if he ever had a son, the boy would be the one to kill him and would later marry Jocasta, his mother. Wed love to have you back! However, the truth came out, eventually. At the end of the play, after Oedipus has blinded himself, Creon becomes king and acts with compassion towards the repentant Oedipus, leading him into the palace and then, as Oedipus requestsand Apollo has ordainedinto exile. Purchasing There are several depictions of Oedipus in ancient Greek pottery and vase paintings. She gave, as example, the case of Laius, who an oracle had warned would be killed by his own son; in order to avert this tragedy, Laius had left the child for dead. This arrangement did not last, because when the time came for Polynices to leave the throne for his brother, he refused. London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. Seven against Thebes tells of how Oedipus sons, Eteocles and Polyneices, destroyed one another in war. Euripides, Phoenician Women 63ff; Statius, Thebaid 1.46ff. The Oracle at Delphi prophesied that the son of Laius and Jacosta would kill his father and marry his mother. The Chorus seems terrified and helpless in this section, and its speech at lines 526572 is fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? Deciding to investigate this matter, Oedipus ended up in Delphi, with an intention to learn the truth from the Oracle. Yes and no. After that, King Laius gave the boy to a shepherd to take him to the mountains and leave him to die. Kernyi, Kroly. As an Aristotelian tragic hero, Oedipus's fall is caused by his hamartia, or tragic flaw. The monster presented a riddle given by the muses to those who tried to pass and devoured those who failed to answer. Instead, a servant found himand gave the child to a shepherd. How does Oedipus become the king of Thebes? Oedipus cursed whoever is guilty of killing Laius, unaware that, in doing so, he has just condemned himself. In some traditions, the Sphinx was a bandit who was defeated by Oedipus and his Corinthian army,[16] while in others she was actually a bastard daughter of Laius who murdered all who claimed to be Laius sons until Oedipus outsmarted her.[17]. Oedipus Rex Characters. Perhaps the ultimate hubris is in thinking one can cheat the gods. When he fled, he ran into Laius, who was disrespectful, so Oedipus killed him. The play "Oedipus the King" by Rex Sophocles, a notable Greek writer, covers the life experiences of Oedipus right from his appointment as the king of Thebes to tragedies that ultimately led to his downfall. [19] Possibly even more surprising are the traditions in which Oedipus did not blind himself but rather was blinded much earliereither by Laius servants[20] or even by his foster father, Polybus.[21]. Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 47 (reported in the scholia on Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus 785). Thebes is experiencing a plague. Years after, Oedipus, tired, old and blind, arrived in Athens, where King Theseus warmly welcomed him, and there he lived the rest of his days until his death, accompanied by his sisters and daughters, Antigone and Ismene. In many plays a character could have a misconception of his or her world. And what does it mean? She works as the chief editor of Symbol Sage but also takes the time to write on topics that interest her. As Oedipus prophesied, the two brothers killed each other fighting for the throne. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". But Oedipus remained uneasy about the second part of the prophecy: what if he yet ended up somehow marrying the widow of Polybus, i.e. During his journey, he came to Davlia, a place where three roads crossed over one another. Homer related that Oedipus's wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. Oedipus the King unfolds as a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit. Oedipus asked Tiresias, the seer, who was responsible for this crime, but Tiresias reluctant to tell the truth to his king, since that would involve calling his king a murderer equivocated, but this led Oedipus to suspect that Tiresias and Creon (the man who was ruling as de facto king after Laius was killed) had plotted together to murder Laius. The Heroes of the Greeks. Oedipus the King, lines 707-1007 Summary Oedipus 's wife, Jocasta, enters and convinces Oedipus that he should neither kill nor exile Creon, though the reluctant king remains convinced that Creon is guilty. That way, Oedipus fulfilled the first part of the prophecy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Diodorus of Sicily: The Library of History, a work of universal history covering events from the creation of the cosmos to Diodorus own time (mid-first century BCE), contains references to the myths of Oedipus (in Book 4). Perseus Digital Library. Here is an overview of the story of King Oedipus: Oedipus was the son of the King Laiusand Queen Jocastaof Thebes. Two Faces of Oedipus: Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannus and Senecas Oedipus. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2008. Translated by John Russell. 4 Why did Oedipus kill the old man in the Odyssey? Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.28.7, 1.30.4. At the center of the play is the issue of the new Theban king's edict in which he tries to deny burial rights to Polynices branding him as a traitor to Thebes undeserving of a burial. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. How did Oedipus become the king and who is he married to? Although, the Thebes did not fall in Antigone, both Eteocles and Polynices died in the process of trying to become king which . Why did Oedipus kill the old man in the Odyssey? Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud coined the termOedipus complexto refer to the sexual love a son could feel towards his mother and the jealousy and hatred he would develop against his father. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 4 What caused the downfall of Oedipus in Oedipus the King pride or anger? Apollodorus: The myths of Oedipus are summarized in the Library and Epitome, representing a single mythological handbook from the first century BCE or the first few centuries CE. The Freudian concept of the Oedipus Complex is one of the underlying themes of T.S.Eliots The Wasteland. According to a lesser-known alternative, Laius tried to kill Oedipus not by leaving him in the mountains but by putting him in a chest and tossing it into the sea (see also the myth of Perseus); eventually, the chest drifted to Corinth, where Oedipus was discovered and raised by Polybus (scholia on Euripides Phoenician Women 26). on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Graves, Robert. for a customized plan. Oedipus accuses Creon of trying to overthrow him, since it was he who recommended that Tiresias come. Oedipodia (fragments); Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 48 (reported in the scholia on Euripides Phoenician Women 53), who adds that Oedipus had two children from his marriage to his mother and that their names were Phrastor and Laonytus, while Eurygania was the mother of not only Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polyneices but also of another daughter named Jocasta; Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.5.11; Apollodorus, Library 3.5.8; scholia on Euripides Phoenician Women 13, 53, 1760. According to a popular tradition, Oedipus eventually came to the Attic town of Colonus, not far from Athens. Provoked by the anger and insults of Oedipus, Tiresias begins to hint at his knowledge. In response to this, he visited the same Oracle of Delphi who made the prophesy to his original parents. These two sisters are day and night, which give birth to each other because one follows the other. How did Oedipus become the king of Thebes? Red-figure Kylix from Vulci showing Oedipus and the Sphinx. Jocasta eventuallyabandoned the son to the mountains, thinking that he would perish. Oedipus ruled Thebes with Jocasta as his wife, not knowing that they were related. Oedipus was born, and King Laius decided to get rid of him. Creon, Queen Jocastas brother, made an announcement after the kings death that anyone who answered the Sphinxs riddle correctly would become the new king of Thebes. When the claimants admitted that they did not know the prophecy, the Sphinx killed them. (Or, as the Bible bluntly puts it, the love of money is the root of all evil.). Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Edmunds, Lowell. It does not store any personal data. The people were so grateful that they made him King. At the bottom of page 11 going onto page 12 gives Oedipus a miniature prophecy. The Thebans were overjoyed to finally be free of the Sphinx. The story of Oedipus has become one of the most famous myths of Ancient Greece and has widely spread beyond the frontiers of Greek mythology. This is how his name was chosen, as Oedipus means "swollen foot". E.g., Euripides, Phoenician Women 55ff; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of History 4.64.4; Hyginus, Fabulae 67; Apollodorus, Library 3.5.8; etc. After that, King Laius gave the boy to a shepherd to take him to the mountains and leave him to die. The Choruss supplications to the benevolent gods of lines 168244 are long past. Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus; Apollodorus, Library 3.5.9; Hyginus, Fabulae 67, where Oedipus flees from Thebes voluntarily. As remarked above, there are numerous versions of the Oedipus story from classical civilisation: plays, poems, and other artistic depictions. In the most familiar version, first attested in Sophocles tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus downfall all began with a plague. Creon is at his most dissembling in Oedipus at Colonus, where he once again needs something from Oedipus. Puzzled at first, then angry, Oedipus insists that Tiresias tell Thebes what he knows. Homer related that Oedipuss wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. Traveling toward Thebes, he encountered Laius, who provoked a quarrel in which Oedipus killed him. I would be delighted to read more on this. Though Tiresias has laid the truth out plainly before Oedipus, the only way Oedipus can interpret the prophets words is as an attack, and his quest for information only seeks to confirm what he already believes. Oedipus, curious to know more, summoned the blind prophet Tiresias, whose reluctance to speak made Oedipus suspect him. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Cron, a commune in the Gironde . Euripides, Oedipus frag. After a massacre and almost total destruction in a fruitless uprising (336) against Alexander the Great, Cassander rebuilt Thebes in 316. 1 How does Oedipus become the king of Thebes? Accessed September 10, 2021. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DO%3Aentry+group%3D2%3Aentry%3Doedipus-bio-1. Laius then had the child disposed of, either by throwing him into the sea (where he was rescued by fishermen) or by giving him to a servant to take to the mountains and leave there (where he was rescued by shepherds). Interesting Literature is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk. 541 Nauck (reported in the scholia on Euripides Phoenician Women 61). When Oedipus desired to know more about his parentage, he consulted the Delphic Oracle, only to be told that he must not go to his home or he would kill his father and marry his mother. Continuing on his way, Oedipus found Thebes plagued by the Sphinx, who put a riddle to all passersby and destroyed those who could not answer. (well say why this is the solution later on; there was also another riddle posed by the Sphinx in some alternative versions of the Oedipus myth, which asks, ). Creon, the first annual eponymous archon of Athens, 682-681 BC; Greek mythology. In some versions, the Delphic oracle warned Oedipus that there was a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother; believing Polybus to be his real father (in this version of the story), Oedipus fled home, worried that he would kill Polybus. Driven into a fury by the accusation, Oedipus proceeds to concoct a story that Creon and Tiresias are conspiring to overthrow him. Laius was killed on the road? When he had grown up, Oedipus heard that Polybus and Merope were not his real parents, and to find answers, he went to the Oracle at Delphi to discover his origin. It turns out that this guy is actually the shepherd who found Oedipus on the mountain and brought him to Corinth. Its a story that highlights the inevitability of destiny and the devastation that occurs when you try to thwart your fate. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Oedipus had killed his father. He did not know that the man he killed was his father, or that the woman he married was his mother. Polynices and his brother Eteocles were the sons of the last ruler of Thebes, Oedipus, and began the conflict whose aftermath the play is set in. Oedipus: The Ancient Legend and Its Later Analogues. Read more about how the Chorus reacts to events in the play. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Homer related that Oedipus's wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death. Oedipus was born, and King Laius decided to get rid of him. Modern scholars have long debated the nature of Oedipus's hamartia. He solved the riddle of the Sphinx. As the play opens, the citizens of Thebes beg their king, Oedipus . How did Oedipus become the prince of Corinth? Copyright Symbol Sage 2022 All Rights Reserved. Thinking that he was from Corinth, he set out toward Thebes to avoid this fate. Similarly, Narcissus, in another famous Greek myth, actually shunned other people before he fell in love with his own reflection, and yet we still talk of someone who is obsessed with their own importance and appearance as being narcissistic. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". A Handbook of Greek Mythology. Because there were so many people who told the story, there are some variations depending on who told it. After being raised in Corinth by Polybus and his wife (whose name was either Merope,[5] Periboea,[6] or Medusa[7]), Oedipus found his way back to Thebes and unknowingly married his own mother. The ancient story has intense dramatic appeal; through Seneca the theme was transmitted to a long succession of playwrights, including Pierre Corneille, John Dryden, and Voltaire. In despair, the sphinx killed herself, and Oedipus received the throne and the hand of Queen Jocasta for freeing the city of the sphinx. He asked them for a description of the former king, and where the killing took place, and his worst fears were confirmed. He hoped to discover the cause of the plague that afflicted the city and sent his brother, Creon, to consult the Oracle at Delphi. In the tragedies, someone told Oedipus in order to insult him that he was a foundling and Polybus was not his real father. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Zurich: Artemis, 1994. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. When Oedipus is born, Laius ties his hands and feet and leaves him on a mountainside to die. Eventually, the homeless child came to Corinth where the king and queen didnt have children of their own. Oedipus, in Greek mythology, the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! How can two sisters give birth to each other? 2 What is the source of Oedipus the King? To prevent this from happening, he killed King Laius. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. 1556332. Back to Section Index Back to Table of Contents. A boy leads in the blind prophet Tiresias. Thus, that part of the prophesy came true and he didnt even know. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 1054. Oedipus. [28], There were tombs and hero cults of Oedipus in the region of ancient Attica, including in Colonus and Athens itself. Please wait while we process your payment. The two quarreled, the argument grew heated, and Oedipus ended up killing the old man. There are a handful of variants of Oedipus name, including Oedipos, Oedipodos, and Oedipoun. However, another school of thought says that, to the ancient Greeks, fate was far too powerful to be overridden by human agency: Oedipus card was stamped from the start. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. How did Oedipus become king of Thebes quizlet? Authors such as Voltaire and musicians such as Stravinsky wrote based on Oedipus myths. please make it possible to print your articles!!!!!! She has a wide range of interests ranging from ancient cultures and mythology to Harry Potter and gardening. Laius attempts to do away with the child so it could never grow up to murder him failed, because Oedipus survived. Ovid: Oedipus and his encounter with the Sphinx are mentioned briefly in the Metamorphoses (ca. He had thus fulfilled the prophecy, despite his best efforts to avoid it. In the more famous version told by Sophocles in his play Oedipus Rex, its something far bigger: a plague was ravaging the city of Thebes, and the Delphic oracle revealed that the plague would only abate when Laius death is avenged. His siblings were also his children, as they were the children of incest. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 They resolve that they will not believe any of these accusations against Oedipus unless they are shown proof. A shepherd rescues Oedipus and brings him to the king of Corinth, who raises Oedipus. The cause of Oedipus downfall is his hamartia or mistake, which was caused by his pride and impulsiveness, his hubris. Oedipus appears as a cultural figure not only in Greece, but also in Albania, Cyprus, and Finland. 8 CE). Before his conception, King Laius visited the oracle of Delphi to find out if he and his wife would ever have a son. He did not defeat the Sphinx through brute force but through intellect when he correctly answered the monsters riddle. When Oedipus answered the Sphinx correctly, the Sphinx killed itself. When Tiresias arrives at line 340, Oedipus praises him as an all-powerful seer who has shielded Thebes from many a plague. Sophocles wrote three plays about the story of Oedipus and Thebes:Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Colonus, and Antigone. Accordingly, when his wife, Jocasta (Iocaste; in Homer, Epicaste), bore a son, he had the baby exposed (a form of infanticide) on Cithaeron. E.g., Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.26.3. A pitiless, profound and influential Greek myth. Oedipus, King of Thebes, sends his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask advice of the oracle at Delphi, concerning a plague ravaging Thebes. Clearly sisters here is meant to imply some sort of complementary relationship. In solving her riddle, the Sphinx is vanquished, and she dies. Oedipus was the son of Laius, a king of Thebes, and his wife Jocasta (or Epicasta, according to some sources). "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles is one of such story. Dont have an account? In many traditions, Oedipus also cursed his sons, either because they disrespected him,[25] because they did not help him when he was exiled from his city,[26] or because they imprisoned him in Thebes. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden. Great as always! By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In Greek mythology, Oedipus first saved the city of Thebes from a plague placed upon it by the Sphinx. The answer, Oedipus realized, was "a human being": humans crawl on four legs as babies, walk on two legs as adults, and become "three-footed" in old age (when they use a cane to walk). Homer, Odyssey 11.271ff; cf. What are they?.