GRST 209 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Laius

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Greek and Roman Studies
• Course: GRST 209
• Professor: Peter Toohey

Document Summary

Sick, crippled population bring laurel branches to king oedipus to beg for help (plague, famine, horrible state of city/life) Oedipus has sent creon to see oracle at apollo: oracle says there is something unclean born, living in city, that must be purified (banished/blood for blood), murderers of laius must be found and brought to justice. Oedipus sends for an oracle to be brought to him: while waiting, oedipus declares to the gods that the murderer, or anyone with knowledge of the murder, should be cursed as wickedly as the city has been. Oedipus feuds with creon, accusing him of having knowledge about the murder and possibly being the murderer. creon is angry and denies it, declaring he be similarly cursed if the accusations are true. Oedipus realizes that, shortly before he arrived in thebes, he murdered a man that fits laius" description at the described crossroads. he says he will see the only living survivor to confirm the story.