Story of Oedipus the King of The Thebes

 

Oedipus complex

(The swollen-footed)

It refers to the development of emotions aroused in a young child. The term Oedipus complex is a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex. It also means a sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex. A boy who acts jealous of his mother and tells the father not to touch her. A child who insists on sleeping between parents. A girl who declares she wants to marry her father when she grows up are some examples.

Story of Oedipus the King of The Thebes

Theseus was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years.  Theseus had a role in history. It has been called "a major cultural transition, like the making of the new Olympia by Hercules."

While Theseus was reigning over the Athenians, the neighboring throne of Thebes, in Bœotia (A district of Ancient Greece, formerly renowned for the French residents; now, a district in east Central Greece). Boeotia was occupied by King Laius and Queen Jocasta.

Jocasta, in Greek mythology, was the daughter of the king of Thebes, Menoeceus, and sister of Creon.

In those days the people thought they could learn about the future by consulting the oracles, or priests who lived in the temples, who pretended to give people messages from the gods.

King Laius and his queen became eager and wanted to know what would become of him and of his family. King Laius sent rich gifts to the temple at Delphi, asking what would befall him in the coming years. The messenger soon returned, but instead of bringing cheerful news, he tremblingly repeated the oracle's words: "King Laius, you will have a son who will murder his father, marry his mother, and bring destruction upon his native city!"

Wailing! The King Laius groans. But the king’s sex urge was ridiculous. The king Laius decides to keep sleeping with his wife despite this prophecy. Eventually, queen Jocasta gets pregnant and gives birth to a bouncing baby boy.

This news filled the king's heart with horror; and when, a few months later, a son was born to him, he made up his mind to kill him rather than let him live to commit such fearful crimes. But King Laius was too gentle to harm a babe, and so ordered a servant to carry the child out of the town and put him to death.

The man obeyed the first part of the king's orders; but when he had come to a lonely spot on the mountain, he could not make up his mind to kill the poor little babe. Thinking that the child would soon die if left on this lonely spot, the servant tied him to a tree, and, going back to the city, reported that he had got rid of him.

No further questions were asked, and all thought that the child was dead. It was not so, however. His cries had attracted the attention of a passing shepherd, who carried him home, and being too poor to keep him, took him to the King of Corinth. As the king had no children, he gladly adopted the little boy.

When the queen saw that the child's ankles were swollen by the cord by which he had been hung to the tree, she tenderly cared for him, loved him, and called him Oedipus, which means "the swollen-footed." This nickname clung to the boy, who grew up thinking that the King and Queen of Corinth were his real parents.

Once, when Oedipus was traveling toward Thebes, he encountered king Laius, who provoked a quarrel in which Oedipus killed him. Continuing his way, Oedipus found Thebes plagued by the Sphinx. A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion with the wings of a falcon. The Sphinx had put a riddle to all passersby and destroyed those who could not answer. Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx killed herself. In reward, he received the throne of Thebes and the hand of the widowed queen, his mother, Jocasta. They had four children. Later, when the truth became known, Jocasta committed suicide.

According to another version, Oedipus after blinding himself, went into exile, accompanied by two sons, leaving his brother-in-law as replacement. Oedipus died near Athens, where he was swallowed into the earth and became a guardian hero of the land. The ancient story has intense dramatic appeal. Oedipus appears in the folk traditions of Albania, Finland, Cyprus, and Greece.

Ref: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

https://www.google.com/search?q=story+of+king+laius+and+queen+jocasta&sxsrf=ALiCzsaBu7WrpK5sjSInd0LNztmG0WChgQ%3A1652899926622&source=hp&ei=VkCFYt6QIMjI0PEP1ZOM6AU&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAYoVOZkjOM-oYsW4vuSFrog7RlGouEHsT&oq=story+of+King+Laius+and+Queen+Jocasta&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCCEQqwIyCAghEB4QFhAdOgQIIxAnOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQ0QM6CwguEIAEEMcBEKMCOgUIABCABDoLCC4QsQMQgwEQ1AI6BQguEIAEOg4ILhCABBCxAxDHARCjAjoLCC4QgAQQxwEQrwE6CAgAEIAEELEDOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToICC4QsQMQgwE6CwguELEDEMcBEKMCOgsIABCABBCxAxDJAzoFCAAQkgM6CAguEIAEELEDOg0IABCABBCxAxCDARAKOggILhCABBDUAlAAWJM_YL-1AWgAcAB4AIABaogBmAeSAQM3LjOYAQCgAQGgAQI&sclient=gws-wiz

Shmoophttps://www.shmoop.com › study-guides › mythology › s...

commons.wikimedia.org