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Oedipus Rex Timeline

  • Oedipus is born
    600 BCE

    Oedipus is born

    Oedipus was born a prince, son of Laius and Jocasta.
  • Prophecy and banishment
    599 BCE

    Prophecy and banishment

    When Jocasta hears the prophecy (that her baby would kill her husband) she ordered a shepherd to kill Oedipus.
  • Adoption
    598 BCE

    Adoption

    The baby, has his feet pinned together. Is given by the shepherd to a second shepherd in Corinth. Oedipus is adopted by Polybus and his wife Merope. This makes Oedipus the prince of Corinth.
  • Oedipus leaves Corinth
    580 BCE

    Oedipus leaves Corinth

    When he hears a rumor he was adopted he (Oedipus) leaves his home.
  • Oedipus hears the prophecy
    579 BCE

    Oedipus hears the prophecy

    Oedipus goes to the Oracle at Delphi, who tells him that he will murder his own father, and sleep with his mother. This is when he decides to not return to Corinth.
  • Oedipus kills Laius
    578 BCE

    Oedipus kills Laius

    When Oedipus is traveling he meets up with a gang of other travelers. When they get into a fight Oedipus kills Laius (without knowing who he is).
  • The riddle of the Sphinx
    577 BCE

    The riddle of the Sphinx

    When Oedipus arrives in Thebes he solves the riddle of the Sphinx. He is made their king because of this. He marries Jocasta.
  • New plague in Thebes
    560 BCE

    New plague in Thebes

    There is a new plague in Thebes. Oedipus, sends Creon (Jocasta's brother) to the oracle for information.
  • Oracle gives new prophecy
    559 BCE

    Oracle gives new prophecy

    The new prophecy (the Oracle) has told Creon that the plague in Thebes will not end until the killer of Laius is caught. He is also told that the murderer must be cursed and driven out of the city.
  • Tiresias
    558 BCE

    Tiresias

    Oedipus asks for Tiresias, a prophet, who says that Oedipus is the murderer. He also reviles the prophet (the first one).
  • Suspicion of the truth
    557 BCE

    Suspicion of the truth

    Jocasta, Oedipus's wife, tells the story of her first husband (Laius) and how he was killed at a three-way crossroads by a band of thieves. Oedipus tells of how, at the same time, he was harassed at the same crossroads and killed a man in self-defense. They send for the only survivor of the attack on Laius to find out the truth.
  • A message from Corinth
    556 BCE

    A message from Corinth

    Jocasta gets a message (from Corinth) that Oedipus's "father" Polybus has died. It also says that the city wants their prince to return to rule. Jocasta and Oedipus are happy that he has not killed his father and that the prophecies are wrong.
  • Oedipus is told he is adopted
    555 BCE

    Oedipus is told he is adopted

    A messenger tells Oedipus that he doesn't have to worry about the second part of the prophecy (which says he will sleep with his mother). This is because Merope is not his real mother and he was adopted as a baby. In fact, the messenger is the shepherd who was given the baby by a servant of Laius.
  • The truth emerges
    554 BCE

    The truth emerges

    Oedipus sends for the original shepherd, who tells him that Jocasta was the mother of the baby. He tells him that she had ordered him killed because of the prophecy (that he would kill his parents). The shepherd took pity on the baby and gave it to the Corinthian shepherd.
  • A tragic ending
    553 BCE

    A tragic ending

    Oedipus realized that he truly did kill his father and marry his mother, so he runs back into the Palace, where he finds Jocasta dead (having hanged herself when she realized what she had done). When Oedipus sees this he tears the pins off her dress and uses them to gouge out his own eyes. He begs Creon (Jocasta's brother) to look after his daughters and to send him away. Creon takes over as the king.
  • News of Thebes
    534 BCE

    News of Thebes

    One of Oedipus's daughters (Ismene) comes from Apollo's oracle at Delphi. She learned that her brother Eteocles (younger son) has overthrown Polynices and is ruling Thebes with Creon. (Polynices is now in Argos amassing troops for an attack on Thebes.) She also says that the city of Oedipus's eventual burial will be good luck for the city, so Polynices and Creon are coming to get Oedipus so he can die in Thebes.
  • Creon's attempt at kidnapping
    532 BCE

    Creon's attempt at kidnapping

    Creon comes to the grove to kidnap Oedipus, but fails, and kidnaps Antigone and Ismene instead. Theseus goes after and rescues the girls.
  • Polynices arrives
    531 BCE

    Polynices arrives

    Polynices comes to ask for his father's support. Oedipus curses both of his sons and says they will kill each other. Polynices asks his sisters to bury him ( if he dies in the battle).
  • Oedipus' Death
    529 BCE

    Oedipus' Death

    Oedipus decides that it is his time to die. He asks Theseus to take him away and perform a burial rite.Only Theseus will know where Oedipus is buried (and will only tell his heirs so that Athens will be safely ruled forever).
  • Polynices and Eteocles death
    528 BCE

    Polynices and Eteocles death

    Polynices attackes Thebes and he and Eteocles both have died (killing each other). Creon rewards the body of Eteocles (who helped him overthrow Polynices) by giving his body a hero's burial. However, he refuses to allow anyone to bury Polynices. He believes the cultures should eat him.