Oedipus was the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Somewhat similar to the fate of Perseus, the newborn Oedipus was left to die in the mountains as Laius was told by the Oracle of Apollo in Delphi that his own son would kill him.
In a desperate attempt to prevent the prophecy’s fulfillment, when Jocasta indeed gave birth to a healthy son, Laius had his ankles pierced and tethered together so that he could not crawl;
Jocasta then decided to leave her defenceless baby to a shepherd with the cruel task to abandon him in the forest to die.
Against all odds, Oedipus was soon rescued and adopted by non the less than King Polybus of Corinthia. Little Oedipus was named after the swelling from the injuries to his feet and ankles («swollen foot»), hence the word «oedema» in English.
Once of age, Oedipus, as a young prince, decided to consult the oracle in Delphi and learned the appalling prophecy : that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother.
Horrified, he thought naturally that the prophecy was referring to the King Polybus whom he believed to be his father, and to Queen Merope. Therefore, heartbroken, he decided never to come back to Corinthia in order to escape this terrible fate.
But how could anyone escape his fate ?
He headed straight for Thebes to resettle. During the journey, he quarrelled with an old man and being short tempered and arrogant, killed him.
At Thebes, Oedipus found out that the ruler, king Laius, was dead and that the city was besieged by a riddle-spouting monstrous creature, half a lion and half a ma named the Sphinx.
The mysterious Sphinx
In Ancient Greece, contrary to the Egyptian tradition, the Sphinx had a woman’s head. The rest of the body was the same with the haunches of a lion and the wings of a bird. In both civilisations the mythological creature was considered as mysterious and merciless. If you failed to answer her riddle she would devoured you.
The riddle here was: «What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?».
Oedipus answered: » The Man : as an infant, he crawls on all fours; as an adult, he walks on two legs and finally in old age, he uses a ‘walking’ stick».
As Oedipus has given the right answer the Sphinx vanished immediately in thin air.
The citizens of Thebes were so relieved that Oedipus was given the kingdom and the hand of the recently widowed Queen Jocasta.
Oedipus and Jocasta had four children : 2 sons Eteocles and Polynices and 2 daughters Antigone and Ismene.
But the life of Oedipus has nothing to do with a fairy tale where they would live happily ever after.
The Shocking Truth Is Revealed.
Some years later, a plague of infertility struck the city of Thebes, affecting crops, livestock and the people. Oedipus understood that it was a punishment sent by the gods but for what outrage?
Oedipus sent an envoy to the Oracle at Delphi, seeking guidance. The oracle gave the answer : to bring the murderer of King Laius to justice.
To find the murderer , the blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, Tiresias who was widely respected was requested.
Tiresias tried desperately to warn Oedipus not to seek for Laius’ killer.
After a heated discussion between the two men, Oedipus discovered to his horror that the murderer was none other than himself;
At that dramatic moment, a messenger from Corinthia rushed to bring the sad news that King Polybus had died .
Oedipus was at first relieved that he had nothing to do with the death of his father until he learned that the aristocracy of Corinthia refused to recognise him as the rightful heir as he had been adopted, which was news for him.
Jocasta, finally realizing that her husband was her first born son, went back to her appartement where she hanged herself.
Shocked by the awful truth, disgusted by his life, Oedipus blinded himself with pins from Jocasta dress.
The legend of Oedipus has been retold by most Greek poets : Homer, Hesiod, Euripides and especially Sophocles.
Centuries later it was the founder of the psychology, Sigmund Freud who labelled the unconscious desire in a child for the opposite sex-parent the “Oedipus complex “. Thankfully it happens mostly in the very small childhood and fortunately it passes very rapidly as the child grows up.
But the story of Oedipus clearly shows that for the Ancient Greeks no one could escape his fate.
Everything was written…