Oedipus

Oedipus was a Greek mortal king and hero.

Early Life
Laius, the father of Oedipus, consulted the Oracle at Delphi because he and his wife were unable to have a child. The oracle told Laius that any son he had would kill him so when his wife, Jocasta, got pregnant and had their child, he had his son, Oedipus', legs shackled and he gave the baby to his servant to abandon in the woods. However, the servant gave Oedipus to a Corinthian shepherd to be raised.

Oedipus eventually was adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope. After he was grown, he was told by a drunk that he wasn't the actual child of Polybus and Merope, to which he confronted them, but they denied these accusations. Oedipus consulted the Oracle at Delphi and it told him that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Because of this, he decided to not return to Corinth but to go to Thebes, which was where his biological parents lived.

Travels
While traveling to Thebes, Oedipus arrived in Davleia at a place where three roads crossed each other at the same time as Laius on a chariot. Laius tried to kill Oedipus but Oedipus ended up killing Laius. The only witness was a slave who fled.

The Sphinx
Also on his way to Thebes, Oedipus came across the Sphinx, a lion with a woman's head that would stop travelers and ask them a riddle. Those that didn't answer the riddle correctly would be eaten by the Sphinx. The riddle that the Sphinx gave to Oedipus was "What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon and three at night?". Oedipus answered correctly with "Man" and the Sphinx jumped off a cliff due to her shame.

Becoming the King
Jocasta's brother, Creon, declared that anybody who could defeat the Sphinx would be given the throne of Thebes and Jocasta's hand in marriage. Since Oedipus had done that, he was given the throne and was married to Jocasta. They had several children together.

Plague of Thebes
Years after the marriage between Oedipus and Jocasta, a plague that was affecting crops, livestock, and people struck Thebes. Oedipus sent Creon to the Oracle at Delphi. Creon returned and told Oedipus that the murderer of King Laius had to be brought to justice to stop the plague. Oedipus, not knowing it was him that had killed Laius, said that the murderer must be caught and exiled. Tiresias, a blind prophet, told Creon and Oedipus to not look for the killer of Laius. Oedipus argued with Tiresias, who eventually revealed that Oedipus was the killer of Laius. Just then, a Corinthian messenger arrived and told them that Polybus had died, which relieved Oedipus because he thought that Polybus was his birth father, and now the prophecy couldn't become true.

Oedipus didn't attend the funeral because he knew that his mother was still alive. The messenger told Oedipus that he was adopted and Jocasta came to the realization that he was her son and begged him to stop looking for the murderer of Laius. Oedipus took this as her being ashamed of him since he might have been of low birth. Oedipus was angered by this and Jocasta then went into their palace and hanged herself. Oedipus went to the shepherd that was supposted to have left him in the woods to die and he learned that Polybus and Merope were only his adoptive parents and his biological parents were Laius and Jocasta.

There are three variations to the story at this point. According to Sophocles, Oedipus blinded himself and was exiled. Antigone then guided him through the county until he was welcomed by Theseus in Athens and died. According to Euripides, Jocasta didn't commit suicide and Oedipus was blinded by one of Laius' servants. According to Homer, Oedipus continued to rule Thebes after Jocasta's death.

Relationships

 * Parents: Laius and Jocasta
 * Spouse(s): Jocasta
 * Children with Jocasta: Eteocles, Polynices, Antigone, Ismene