Theban Cycle

Question 1

What are the main tales in the Theban Cycle?

Answer 1

1) The misdeeds of King Laius
2) Oedipus
3) The Seven Against Thebes
4) The princess Antigone
5) The Epigonoi (Descendents) -2nd generation champions from Argos, who successfully captured Thebes

Question 2

What did Tantalos do while being invited to dine in with the Olympians?

Answer 2

He killed his own son, Pelops, boiled him and served him up as the main dish.

Question 3

What did the Olympian Gods do with Pelops, after he was served at dinner?

Answer 3

They brought him back from the dead, and “rebuilt him”.

Question 4

Which god was Pelops in a homosexual relationship while he was a boy?

Answer 4

Poseidon

Question 5

What was weird about the woman Pelops wanted to marry? What happened when he tried to get her to marry him?

Answer 5

She may have been in an incestuous relationship with her father, her father tried to stop the marriage by challenging Pelops to a chariot race

Question 6

How did Pelops win the chariot race against Hippodameia’s father?

Answer 6

He bribed the fathers charioteer to tamper with the axle pins of the chariot.
Oinomaos (father) died in the crash.

Question 7

What did the charioteer do after the fatal crash of Oinomaos?

Answer 7

He turned against Pelops and tried to rape Hippodameia

Pelops hurled him into the sea but not before he was able to curse Pelops and his descendents.

Question 8

What area was named after Pelops?

Answer 8

Peloponnese (‘Pelops Island’)

Question 9

Who are the 3 famous children of Pelops and Hippodameia

Answer 9

Pittheus, atreus and Thyestes

Question 10

What was Atreus’s revenge upon Thyestes for sleeping with his wife?

Answer 10

He served him the minced and boiled body-parts of Thyestes children.

Question 11

What was the instance in Greek Mythical history of homesexual activity between humans, not gods and humans?

Answer 11

King Laius of Thebes

Question 12

What is the story behind the family curse that began with king Laius of Thebes?

Answer 12

He visits Mycenae and falls in love with Chrysippus, a teen (or pre teen) prince. He abducts him and brings him home to Thebes to be his unwilling sex partner.

Question 13

What does Chrysippus do after being abducted and sexually abused by King Laius of Thebes? What does this cause for King Laius of Thebes?

Answer 13

He kills himself from shame, which causes a curse to be laid of Laius by Chrysippus’s father, Pelops.

Note** curses in Greek mythology are always efficacious (effective), of course. (Also,
although not relevant here, curses from dying people are extra strong.

Question 14

What happens when King Laius of Thebes gets his young wife pregnant?

Answer 14

In a drunken stupor, he impregnates her - despite knowing a prophecy that any son of Laius by Jocasta will grow up to kill him

Question 15

What is the story of Oedipus’s birth?

Answer 15

An oracle told him mother Jocasta not to have children, or else the son will kill his father. When Oedipus was born, his parents pinned the baby’s ankles together and gave it to a herdsman to expose Mount Kithairon, but the herdsman saved the infant out of pity and handed it to another herdsman.

Question 16

Who ended up raising Oedipus ?

Answer 16

Corinthian King Polybos and his queen Merope

Question 17

After Oedipus was insulted for not being the true son of the king, who did he go speak to and what did they say?

Answer 17

The Oracle at Delphi told him he would not only kill his father, but also sleep with his mother.

In response, Oedipus decided to never return to Corinth where they were the rulers.

Question 18

On the road home from Delphi what happened to Oedipus?

Answer 18

He ran into an old man who would not give way, so he slew him. The old man happened to be his father, Laios

Question 19

Where did Oedipus go after he slew his father?

Answer 19

He heard about a calamity in a nearby city in Thebes, where the Sphinx (part woman, part winged lion) was plaguing the citizens.

Question 20

What was the Sphinx’s riddle and what was the answer?

Answer 20

She challenged all passers-by with a challenge: what creature goes on all fours, and on on two, and on three?
The answer was: man, who crawls on all fours, walks erect as a man, and leans on a cane in old age.

Question 21

What was Oedipus’s reward for defeating the Sphinx?

Answer 21

The Sphinx committed suicide and he was rewarded marriage to Jocasta the recently widowed bride (his birth mother)

Question 22

What ensued as a result of Oedipus’s incestuous and fruitful relationship with his mother? Who did Oedipus reach out to for advice?

Answer 22

A plague devastated the people, animals and the crops.

Of course, he spoke to the Oracle who said the find the root of the pollution.

As head of the city Oedipus uncovered the truth.

Question 23

What does Oedipus do after finding out he slew his own father and had children with his mother?

Answer 23

He blinds himself since he could not kill himself and face his parents in the underworld. (Jocasta commits suicide once she finds out)`

Question 24

Now blind where does Oedipus go and seek refuge?

Answer 24

Athens and he is graciously taken in by Theseus (one of his noble actions)

Question 25

Who stays by Oedipus’s side after he tears out his own eyes in shame?

Answer 25

In a single day, he has
descended from being a beloved king and family man to
being a blind, penniless outcast, shunned by society
for his religious pollution. He wanders homeless,
accompanied only by his loyal daughter Antigone.

Answer: Antigone

Question 26

In punishment of the Polyneikes attack on his own city-state (against his brother the ruler), what does Kreon (brother of Jocasta) do?

Answer 26

The ultimate sanction, denial of burial

Question 27

What does Antigone do in defiance of her Kreon’s wishes?

Answer 27

She buries her brother Polyneikes after he committed the ultimate treason of attacking his own polis (city-state) to seek power.

Question 28

What happens to Antigone in punishment of defying her Kreon’s wishes in “Sophokles telling of the myth”?

Answer 28

She is entombed alive by Kreon and then hangs herself. Her betrothed, Kreon’s son Haimon, stabs himself to death in grief after spitting into his father’s face.

Question 29

After Kreon kills Antigone and his son Haimon kills himself, what does Kreon do based on the advice of a seer?

Answer 29

Decided to bury Polyneikes, but it was too late, his file Eurydice kills herself due to the household chaos.

Question 30

Who is the Seven’s champion?

Answer 30

Tydeusm exiled prince of Calydon and brother (or half) of Meleager.

His wife is King Adrastus’ daughter and their son will be the hero Diomedes

He was exiled for killing his brother Melanippus

Question 31

Who were the Seven against Thebes?

Answer 31

Amphiaraus, Adrastus, Hippomedon, Capaneus, Parthenopaeus, Polyneices, Tydeus

Question 32

What started the War on Thebes (Seven against Thebes)

Answer 32

The Seven against Thebes were seven champions in Greek mythology who made war on Thebes.[2] They were chosen by Adrastus, the king of Argos, to be the captains of an Argive army whose purpose was to restore Oedipus’ son Polyneikes to the Theban throne

Question 33

What is Antigone’s purpose in mythology?

Answer 33

She has a good heart and puts family first, civil disobedience and courage. At the cost of her life, she defies the rule’s commandment and buries her brother.

Question 34

Who was the only survivor (attacker) of the failed capture of Thebes (seven against Thebes)?

Answer 34

Adrastos

Question 35

Who did Adrastos turn to for help after Kreon refused to bury the dead Argives at Thebes?

Answer 35

Theseus, king of Athens.

Question 36

What did Theseus do once her was asked for help from Adrastos?

Answer 36

He attacked and defeated the Thebans and ensured the Argive dead were buried.