Oedipus Timeline

Oedipus' Fate

510 BCE

Oedipus' parents were told by the Oracle of Delphi that their son will kill his father (King Laius) and marry his mother (Queen Jocasta).

Mount Cithaeron

509 BCE

As a result of the Oracle's prophecy, Laius & Jocasta ordered a servant to pin Oedipus' legs together and leave him on Mount Cithaeron to die.

Oedipus Survives

508 BCE

While on Mount Cithaeron, a shepherd took pity on Oedipus and rescues him. The shepherd then gives Oedipus to King Polybus and Queen Merope who adopted him.

Oedipus leaves Corinth

507 BCE

Oedipus learns from the Oracle of Delphi that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Thinking that Polybus and Merope are his (birth) parents, he leaves Corinth to stop the prophecy from coming true.

Oedipus kills his father

506 BCE

On his way to Thebes, Oedipus encounters Laius on some crossroads (unknowing that he is his birth father or the king of Thebes). Laius enrages Oedipus and as a result, Oedipus kills Laius.

King Oedipus

505 BCE

Oedipus upon arriving at Thebes encounters the Sphinx who has plagued Thebes. In order to defeat the Sphinx, someone has to answer the Sphinx's riddle. Oedipus correctly answers the Sphinx's riddle, defeating her and become king of Thebes.

Oedipus marries his mother.

504 BCE

After becoming king, Oedipus marries Queen Jocasta and has 4 children with her unknowing that she is his mother.

Thebes' Plague

503 BCE

In order to stop Thebes' plague, Laius murder needed to be exiled from Thebes. As a result, Oedipus declares that whoever killed Laius would be exiled from Thebes and nothing else without knowing that he was the murder.

Oedipus Learns the Truth

502 BCE

A messenger comes to tell Oedipus that Polybes is dead and that he is able to become king of Corinth. Oedipus says that he does not want to return to Corinth because he does not want to marry his mother like the Oracle said he would. The messenger responds to this saying that Polybus and Merope aren't his birth parents. The messenger turned out to be the shepherd that saved Oedipus said that he found Oedipus on Mount Cithaeron. This causes Oedipus to wonder who his parents actually were.

Oedipus Learns the Truth (Pt. 2)

501 BCE

The messenger then gets another shepherd that knows more about it than he does. The shepherd (after the threat of torture), he says that Oedipus was Laius' son. With this information, Oedipus realizes that the Propchy has come true.

Aftermath

500 BCE

After figuring out the truth, Jocasta locked herself in her room and hung herself. After seeing this, Oedipus stabs his eyes out because he didn't want to see the world now that he knows the truth about his past. Oedipus is then exiled from Thebes upon wishing to be exiled.