The subject matter that lies at the heart of this Sophoclean tragedy was narrated in three epics on Theban myth that today survive only in fragments or later descriptions thereof: the

, the

(the curse of Oedipus, the fraternal feud, the march of the Seven against Thebes) and the

(the sons of the Seven’s revenge campaign and the destruction of Thebes). Important and sometimes pre-Sophoclean elements of the myth include: 1. the exposure of the young Oedipus with pierced ankles (whence his name “Swell-footed”); 2. the patricide and incest with his mother (already appearing in Homer’s

11.217ff.); 3. the blinding of Oedipus and the curse on his sons Eteocles and Polyneices, and 4. these brothers’ battle against each other which ends in their mutual…

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Citation: Zimmermann, Bernhard. "Oedipus Tyrannus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 October 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3153, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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