Oedipus Rex

Oedipus asks Creon to exile him

440 BCE

Oedipus is full of guilt, and cannot stand to stay in Thebes, so he begs Creon to exile him. Oedipus hugs his daughters for the last time then asks Creon to take care of them as his own.

Queen Jocasta is dead

439 BCE

She commits suicide in her room. Oedipus finds her and weeps, then takes a metal rod and gouges his eyes out.

Oedipus realizes that he is the son of Jocasta, and that he killed his own father

438 BCE

At the very end of Part 3, the shepherd tells the story about how Jocasta gave Oedipus to one of her servants who took him up to a mountain to kill him, but the servant did not have the heart to, so he gave Oedipus to the shepherd, who gave him to the King.

Messenger reveals that Oedipus is not King Polybus´ son

437 BCE

The messenger tells Oedipus about how he was found by the shepherd and brought to King Polybus.

Messenger comes to Thebes

436 BCE

A messenger from Corinth comes to Thebes to inform Oedipus that the people of Corinth want him to be their new King.

Oedipus and Creon

435 BCE

Oedipus and Creon argue about if Tiresias is speaking the truth.

Truth is revealed

434 BCE

Tiresias reveals that Oedipus is the man who killed his own father. This came about when Oedipus called on Tiresias to tell them who killed Laius.

A plague comes upon Thebes, and Creon is sent to the Oracle

433 BCE

Creon goes to the Oracle to find wisdom about what they need to do to get the plague to vanish. Oedipus calls on the wise prophet Tiresias.

Oedipus defeats the Sphynx and becomes king of Thebes

432 BCE

The reward for solving the riddle of the Sphynx is becoming king.

Oedipus and Jocasta have children

432 BCE

Jocasta gives birth to two boys and two girls

Oedipus kills King Laius

431 BCE

On the way to Thebes, Oedipus comes across a group of men. Out of anger, Oedipus kills all of the men, except one. As it turns out, Oedipus killed his real father, King Laius.

Oedipus hears the prophecy and runs away

430 BCE

There is a prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. To prevent this from happening, Oedipus runs away from Corinth.

Oedipus is given to King Polybus

429 BCE

The shepherd takes the baby to the King and Queen since they are not able to have children.

Shepherd finds Oedipus

428 BCE

A shepherd finds Oedipus on a hillside in Corinth

Oedipus is born

426 BCE