LCT25: Myths of Thebes III

Question 1

What does Laius do to his son?

Answer 1

nails his sons ankles together, orders him to be left out in the wild

Question 2

Who finds Oedipus?

Answer 2

some shepherds of Corinth

Question 3

What happens to Oedipus after he is found?

Answer 3

secretly adopted by Polybos and Periboia, the king and queen of Corinth

Question 4

What does Oracle tell Oedipus once he is older?

Answer 4

avoid home or you’ll murder your father and have sex with your mother

Question 5

What happens while Oedipus is traveling?

Answer 5

altercation - kills both men in anger (Laius and his driver)

Question 6

What is terrorizing the city after Laius is gone missing? (dead)

Answer 6

Sphinx - Creon (new king) decrees that savior gets city and queen

Question 7

Sphinx

Answer 7

lion-bird woman

Question 8

What is the answer to the Sphinx riddle?

Answer 8

Man

Question 9

What does Oedipus do?

Answer 9

defeats the sphinx, Oedipus becomes king and takes Jocasta (his mother) as his wife and queen

Question 10

Children of Oedipus and Jocasta

Answer 10

Polyneices, Eteocles, Ismene, Antigone

Question 11

What does Oedipus and Jocasta do once finding out the truth?

Answer 11

Jocasta kills herself and Oedipus blinds himself while leaving Thebes in exile

Question 12

Who escorts Oedipus out of Thebes?

Answer 12

his daughter, Antigone (only one willing to help him)

Question 13

How des Eteocles and Polyneices decide to rule? (figure out which one of them is going to rule)

Answer 13

agree to alternate every year, Eteocles goes first - refuses to allow Polyneices to rule

Question 14

Who does Polyneices go to for support against his brother?

Answer 14

Adrastos, King of Argos

Question 15

Who are gathered to help the war cause?

Answer 15

Seven champions for the seven walls of Thebes

1) Polyneices (son of Oedipus)
2) Adrastos (king of Argos)
3) Amphiaraos (prophet)
4) Tydeus
5) Capaneus
6) Parthenopaios
7) Hippomedon

Question 16

Who foresees his own death and refuses to go? How does he end up going?

Answer 16

Amphiaraos - Polyneices bribes Eriphyle, Ampiaraos’ wife, with the necklace of Harmonia

Question 17

What does Amphiaraos do before going to war?

Answer 17

tells his sons to avenge his death to their mother

Question 18

Who is sent ahead to negotiate with Thebans?

Answer 18

Tydeus

Question 19

What happens when Tydeus arrives to Thebe?

Answer 19

ignored at first, challenges Thebans to athletic contests - wins them all

Question 20

What takes place when Tydeus is walking back to camp?

Answer 20

ambushed, but Tydeus kills all of them but one so that he can go back to tell the rest of the Thebans of what happened

Question 21

What was the prophecy?

Answer 21

for a Theban victory = if one of the descendants of the Spartoi sacrifices himself, Thebes will be saved

Question 22

Who sacrifices himself?

Answer 22

Menoeceus (son of Crean) - kills himself to save the city