Oedipus and Thebes--AI overview.

AI Overview

Oedipus was a hero and king of Thebes who unknowingly fulfilled a prophecy by killing his father, Laius, and marrying his mother, Jocasta. He was exiled from Thebes after discovering his crimes, which led him to blind himself in shame and despair. He became king of Thebes after saving the city by solving the Sphinx's riddle, a feat which also won him the hand of the widowed queen Jocasta.

Oedipus's story with Thebes

Becoming king: Oedipus saved Thebes from the Sphinx, a monster that was terrorizing the city, by correctly answering its riddle ("what has one voice and goes on four feet in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?"). The answer is "man". As a reward for his heroism, the king at the time, Creon, offered Oedipus the throne and the hand of his widowed sister, Jocasta. Unbeknownst to them, Jocasta was Oedipus's mother, and the previous king, Laius, was his father.

The plague: Years into his reign, a plague struck Thebes. The Oracle of Apollo declared that the plague would continue until the murderer of the previous king, Laius, was found and expelled from the city.

The tragic discovery: Oedipus began a search for Laius's killer, but the investigation led to the horrific truth. He discovered that he had killed his own father, Laius, in a fit of rage at a crossroads. He had also unknowingly married his mother, Jocasta.

Exile: Horrified by his actions, Oedipus blinded himself with brooches from Jocasta's dress, and she hanged herself. Fulfilling his own decree, Oedipus then asked to be exiled from Thebes, leaving the city forever.