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600 BCE
King Laius and Queen Jocasta have child.
The child is male and is named Oedipus. -
599 BCE
The Oracle tells Jocasta of a prophecy about Oedipus.
The Oracle said that Oedipus would one day grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. -
599 BCE
Laius and Jocasta get rid of Oedipus.
In fear of the prophecy coming true, the king and queen order a servant to take Oedipus to a hilltop and kill him. They bind the baby's feet so he can't escape, which caused him to have a mark on his feet for the rest of his life. The servant could not kill Oedipus and gives him to a shepherd. -
598 BCE
King Polybus and Queen Merope adopt Oedipus.
Oedipus is adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. He is raised to believe that they are his real parents. -
580 BCE
Oedipus leaves Corinth.
Oedipus hears rumors that he is adopted and is not really the son of King Polybus. He leaves Corinth to clear his head and get away from the rumors. -
579 BCE
Oedipus learns of the Oracle's prophecy.
After leaving Corinth, Oedipus learns of the prophecy about him. It is revealed to him that the Oracle of Delphi said that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He still thinks that King Polybus and Queen Merope are his real parents so he vows to never return to Corinth until they are both dead. -
578 BCE
Oedipus kills King Laius.
While traveling, Oedipus meets a band of travelers, one of which is King Laius. They get into a fight and Oedipus kills Laius. Oedipus does not know that Laius was his father and he does not think anything of it. -
577 BCE
Oedipus solves the Sphinx's riddle and becomes king of Thebes.
Oedipus arrives in Thebes and finds out that the Sphinx is terrorizing its citizens. When asked a riddle, Oedipus answers it correctly and the Sphinx is defeated. The people of Thebes made Oedipus their king. -
577 BCE
Oedipus marries Queen Jocasta.
As a reward for defeating the Sphinx, Jocasta became Oedipus' wife. They ended up having four children together. The children's names were Polynices, Antigone, Eteocles, and Ismene. At this time, Oedipus does not know that Jocasta is his birth mother. -
560 BCE
A plague runs rampant through Thebes.
A plague appears in Thebes and kills many people, animals, and crops. Oedipus sends Creon to the Oracle to figure out how to stop it. -
559 BCE
The Oracle has a new prophecy.
The Oracle states that the plague of Thebes will not end until the mystery of Laius' murder is solved. In response to this, Oedipus states that the murderer will be cursed and driven out of the city when they are found guilty. He also sets a curse upon himself in case he finds out that he knows the murderer personally. -
558 BCE
Tiresias reveals many secrets to Oedipus.
Tiresias is a blind prophet who Oedipus calls upon to identify the murderer. The prophet was not going to tell Oedipus anything, but in a fit of rage, he reveals two secrets. The first is that the king and queen of Corinth are not Oedipus' real parents. The second is that Oedipus is the murderer of Laius. -
557 BCE
A messenger from Corinth comes with 'great' news.
A messenger is sent from Corinth to tell Oedipus that King Polybus is dead and that he is now king of Corinth. Oedipus is relieved when he hears this news because he thinks that the prophecy cannot come true. He does not, however, want to go back to Corinth in fear that he will have to marry Queen Merope, who he believes to be his mother. -
557 BCE
Oedipus learns the truth of his heritage.
The messenger reveals to Oedipus that Queen Merope was not his mother. He states that a shepherd found him as a baby and gave him to the king and queen of Corinth. The shepherd is brought to Oedipus and after being threatened with torture, he says this is true. Jocasta is worried about this because she knows that she gave away her baby to the shepherd. She asks Oedipus not to question it, but he does anyway and finds out that she is his real mother. -
556 BCE
Oedipus the King ends with a tragic ending.
After realizing the truth, Oedipus is filled with grief and runs back to his palace. He finds out that Jocasta hanged herself after realizing what she had done. Oedipus takes the pins off her dress and gouges out his own eyes. He asks Creon to become the king and Creon accepts the position. -
556 BCE
Oedipus is banished from Thebes.
After learning that Oedipus is a murderer, the people of Thebes and Creon banish him. His banishment is a decree from the gods. Oedipus' curse on the murderer comes true because he said that they are to be banished from Thebes. Oedipus leaves the city and is not allowed to come back. -
555 BCE
The prophecy comes true.
The Oracle of Delphi was right all along. Oedipus did end up killing King Laius, his father, and marrying Queen Jocasta, his mother.
