In the time of the Olympian gods, it wasn't all adventures and fantastical journeys. There were also mortal kings who left their mark on Greek mythology, King Oedipus being one of them. Before ascending the throne, he was a child abandoned by his parents, though years later, life brought them together again.
I invite you to read about a tragic story where a king could not escape his destiny , fixed by a malevolent oracle before his birth. Oedipus's existence was already marked, and it happened exactly as foretold, spending his last days in misery and profound sorrow.
Who were the parents of Oedipus?
This is the story of Oedipus, a young prince born to two mortals: Laius and Jocasta . These spouses wished to see their future through the oracle of Delphi , as was the custom in the times of ancient Greece.
This oracle did not bring him anything good for this unborn baby. He told his parents that his firstborn would kill him and marry his mother, for which Laius was very concerned. When the child was born, his father sent his friend to disappear him, but he did not have the heart to end his life. So he tied his feet to a tree on Mount Citeron.
Destined to die, a kind shepherd named Forbas found him and took him to his master Polybus, King of Corinth. He, in turn, took him to his beloved wife, Queen Merope . Pleased by her dear husband's act of compassion, she decided to keep him. They both adopted the child as their son and named him Oedipus , which for them meant "swollen feet." From then on, he became the prince of Corinth.
How does Oedipus discover the truth of his life?
Oedipus during his adolescence looked very well trained in military exercises. Their other classmates were envious of them, that's why they told them: "You are adopted, your real parents never loved you." Oedipus, hurt by these harsh words, asks the queen the truth of her origin: “tell me mother, is it true that you are not my mother? Who are my parents?". To which Queen Merope always said it was her and no one else.
However, he still had doubts, so, dismayed, he decided to go to the Oracle of Delphi to hear its version. There he heard the saddest news of his life: he was not the son of the king and queen of Corinth; his parents were the king and queen of Thebes, who rejected him because of his bitter destiny. The oracle's prophecy was horrific, ominous. Therefore, she advised him never to go to Thebes. But Oedipus did not obey; he went immediately to Phocis, and from that moment on, the misfortunes of the prophecies began to come true.
How were the Oedipus prophecies fulfilled?
Oedipus's confusion led him to fulfill the dreaded fate the oracle had foretold. Desiring to escape his prophecy, he went not to Corinth but to Thebes, where it would come to pass. On the way, he encountered a group of men whom he slaughtered, believing they were about to attack him. One of them was King Laius, his true father. But Oedipus did not yet know this, and it would be a long time before he discovered the truth.
Later, he was attacked by a great, terrifying monster, feared by all travelers. This creature would attack travelers if they failed to answer its riddles. It was the Sphinx , a strange creature with the body of a dog, the tail of a serpent, the wings of a bird, the hands of a woman, the claws of a lion, the face of a maiden, and the voice of a man. When Oedipus confronted it on the road, it posed the riddle, which he solved correctly. As a result, it vanished and would never attack again.
Everyone celebrated the destruction of the Sphinx. They held a grand feast and rejoiced because it would no longer attack anyone. Moreover, behind it all was the promise of Creon, the former brother-in-law of the late King Laius. He offered the hand of his sister Jocasta and the kingdom to whoever managed to bring down the Sphinx. Thus, the second prophecy of the oracle would be fulfilled: the firstborn son would marry his mother.
The final destination of Oedipus
Once the hateful Sphinx was destroyed, Oedipus and Jocasta married, as his brother had arranged . During their lives, they had children and were truly happy ruling Thebes. Until misfortune struck the region. A fierce plague of catastrophic events invaded the peace and prosperity of the inhabitants, forcing them to turn to their king, Oedipus, for a solution.
The Thebans of all ages made their way to the palace carrying laurel and olive branches. With them was the priest of Zeus , who spoke to Oedipus on behalf of his people: “Thebes is dismayed by this misfortune and cannot lift its head from the deadly abyss in which it is submerged…” King Oedipus listened attentively, and then they all returned to their homes.
Meanwhile, Creon arrives with news from the oracle of the god Apollo . This news is not at all encouraging for the king, for it reveals that King Laius was murdered without justice being served. The god commanded that those responsible be punished, regardless of who they were. Once justice was done, Thebes would return to normal.
In search of a solution, the king summoned wise men such as the Chorus Leader, Tiresias, the king's former messenger Polybus, Laius's former shepherd, and even his wife Jocasta . Listening to each of them, the unfortunate Oedipus concluded that the oracle's dreadful prophecy, which he had so desperately tried to avoid, had been fulfilled.
What was the tragic result? Oedipus was banished from Thebes along with his children . Jocasta committed suicide upon witnessing all that had transpired. The nation was reborn and resumed a normal life. Thus concluded the final days of Oedipus the king, an unfortunate man marked by ill omens even before his birth, a curse that haunted him until the end of his life.
