Oedipus Rex Timeline

Oedipus is born

600 BCE

Oedipus was born a prince, son of Laius and Jocasta.

Prophecy and banishment

599 BCE

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

Adoption

598 BCE

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

When he hears a rumor he was adopted he (Oedipus) leaves his home.

Oedipus hears the prophecy

579 BCE

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

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

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

There is a new plague in Thebes. Oedipus, sends Creon (Jocasta's brother) to the oracle for information.

Oracle gives new prophecy

559 BCE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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 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.