Oidipos, son of Laios

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Oidipos, son of Laios

Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > Hellas > Boiotia > Thebes > articles -- by * Damon Harmodios (11 Articles), Historical Article ₁ Featured January 29 , 2007

Oidipos Challenges the Sphnix

When Zethos and Amphion usurped the Theban throne from Lykos's regency, they denied Laios, a descendant of Kadmos, his rightful throne. Smuggled from the city before the twins and their army arrived, Laios was granted exile at the court of King Pelops. There, the Theban fell in love with Pelops's young son Chrysippos. While teaching the youth to drive a chariot Laios abducted and raped him. This act prompted a curse to fall upon Laios and his family.

Once instated upon the throne in Thebes, Laios wed Epikaste. The oracle at Delphi intervened upon the marriage, and informed Laios that any children he had with his wife would kill him. The advice went unheeded as Epikaste birthed Oidipos. Laios immediately had the boy exposed, but he survived and was raised by King Polybos of Corinth.

In adulthood, Oidipos sought advice from the oracle as to his parentage, to which he was warned that he must not return home or he would kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing a return to Corinth where he had grown, Oidipos chose to settle in Thebes to avoid his fate. Between Delphi and Thebes he encountered the entourage of King Laios. Rudely antagonized to give way for the king, Oidipos slaughtered the party.

Arriving at Thebes, Oidipos encountered the Sphinx, a beast which consumed those who could not answer her riddles. Oidipos answered the Sphinx correctly and killed the beast, for which the grateful Thebans asked that he wed their recently widowed queen, Epikaste. As king of Thebes, Oidipos birthed two sons and two daughters before learning the truth of his past. Upon relevation that Oidipos was the son of Laios and Epikaste, not Polybos, Epikaste killed herself while Oidipos was blinded and banished from Thebes

Sources:	Credits:
Wikipedia: Laius Plato & his Dialogues: Thebes	Oedipus and the Sphnix, edited Source

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~ Table of Contents ~

Early Claim
Thessalonike The Tragic Queen
Icelandic History
The Althingi
Byzantium before Constantine: The Greco-Roman City, 658 BCE - 330 CE
Odin's lament
A FATEFUL CHARIOT RACE: The STORY of PELOPS and OENOMAUS
Mastabas in the Vicinity of Unas Pyramid
Horemheb and His Contemporaries
Pepi I and His Consorts
Pepi II - an Unusually Long Reign
The Unas Pyramid and Surroundings.
The Last Royal Tombs of the Old Kingdom
The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
Northern Saqqara - The Pyramids of Teti and Queens
Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep - Royal Manicurists and Prophets of Re.
Benu of Iunu - The Prototype Phoenix
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Mereruka, His Wife & Son
Northern Saqqara - The Mastaba of Kagemni
Northern Saqqara III: The Tomb of Ankhmahor
Northern Saqqara IV: The Tomb of Akhethotep & Ptahotep
Northern Saqqara V: The Mastaba of Ti
Northern Saqqara VI: Early Dynastic & 3rd Dynastic Tombs
Northern Saqqara VII: The Serapeum
History of Devon
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt I
Styles of House in Ancient Egypt II
Styles of Houses in Ancient Egypt III
Northern Saqqara VII: Other Animal Burials
Calendar of Festivals of Aset
Aset Through History
Places of Worship
Aset in the Ancient Texts
Lady of Philae, Lady of Abaton
An Aretalogy of Aset

Posted Jan 21, 2007 - 23:08 , Last Edited: Jan 29, 2007 - 14:51