Oedipus and Myths of Thebes

Question 1

What line is the local founding and what line is the foreign founding?

Answer 1

Chtonius (local), Cadmus (foreign)

Question 2

What was Cadmus looking for when he went to an oracle?

Answer 2

His sister Europa.

Question 3

What did the oracle tell Cadmus to do?

Answer 3

Follow a cow and build a city where it lies down.

Question 4

What does Cadmus do with the dragon’s teeth?

Answer 4

Instructed by Athena to take some of the teeth and plant them.

Question 5

What are the Spartoi

Answer 5

The 5 that survive the dragon’s teeth sowing and becomes the 5 lines of aristocrasts of Thebes.

Question 6

How does the Labdacus name come to Thebes?

Answer 6

Cthonius marries daughter of local Theban family and Labdacus name descends from him.

Question 7

Who is Labdacus’ son?

Answer 7

Laius

Question 8

What does Laius due while under King Pelop’s hospitality?

Answer 8

Laius abducts and rapes Pelop’s son Chrysippus. Pelops curses the line of Labdacus.

Question 9

What does the oracle tell Laius?

Answer 9

That his son will kill him?

Question 10

What does Jocasta do when Laius refuses to have sex with her?

Answer 10

Gets Laius drunk, and gets pregnant with Oedipus.

Question 11

What do Jocasta and Laius do when Oedipus is born?

Answer 11

Oedipus has his feet pinned and is given to a Theban shepherd to be left on Mt. Cithaeron.

Question 12

What does the Theban shepherd do with Oedipus?

Answer 12

Gives him to the Corinth shepherd to be raised by the King and Queen of Corinth.

Question 13

Who raises Oedipus, and what is their status?

Answer 13

Raised by King and Queen of Corinth, Polybus and Merope.

Question 14

Why does Oedipus go to an oracle?

Answer 14

Being teased that he was adopted.

Question 15

What does the oracle tell Oedipus?

Answer 15

That he will kill his father and marry his mother.

Question 16

What monster is terrorizing Thebes?

Answer 16

A Sphinx

Question 17

What does Oedipus do after he receives the oracles phophecy? Who does he run into?

Answer 17

Oedipus won’t let the prophecy come true, and leaves for Thebes. He is angered by a chariot and kills the inhabitants including his father.

Question 18

What is the reward for solving the Sphinx’s riddle?

Answer 18

The throne and marriage to Jocasta

Question 19

Who solves the riddle of the Sphinx?

Answer 19

Oedipus

Question 20

What are the names of the children of Oedipus and Jocasta?

Answer 20

Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polynices

Question 21

Who wrote the plays of Oedipus?

Answer 21

Sophocles

Question 22

What is the written order of the Oedipus plays?

Answer 22

1. Antigone - daughter of Oedipus
2. Oedipus Tyra
3. Oedipus at Colonus

Question 23

How does Oedipus Tyra begin?

Answer 23

Oedipus is king, and the people are plagued by the mysterious death of Laius.

Question 24

What does Oedipus promise to his citizens?

Answer 24

That he will find the murderer.

Question 25

Who does Oedipus call for to find the murderer?

Answer 25

Tiresias

Question 26

What does Oedipus do when he realizes that he has fulfilled the prophecy?

Answer 26

Blinds himself

Question 27

What is Oedipus at Colonus about?

Answer 27

Oedipus as a blind beggar?

Question 28

What is the prophecy related to Oedipus death?

Answer 28

Where the bones of Oedipus are buried shall never fall to war.

Question 29

How does Oedipus end?

Answer 29

He is swallowed into the ground.

Question 30

Who are the two sons of Oedipus that take over the kingdom?

Answer 30

Eteocles and Polynices.

Question 31

Who becomes king and won't give it up?

Answer 31

Eteocles

Question 32

What does Polynices do when he can't get the throne

Answer 32

Goes to Argos and Adrastus allows him to marry his daughter.

Question 33

What does Wife of Adrastus forsee?

Answer 33

That 7 of them will go and only 1 will return.

Question 34

What happens in the battle of Polynices and Eteocles?

Answer 34

Eteocles tries to strip Polynices armor, and is mortally wounded. Both die.

Question 35

What is the oracle's prophecy related to Thebes?

Answer 35

That if one of the spartoi is sacrificed Thebes shall not fall. Menoecius sacrifices himself.