That Laius is killed by robbers in theDelphi-Daulia intersection and on the way to consulting the Delphic oracle are what Jocasta tells Oedipus about Laius' death in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).
Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta says that Laius, her first husband and Oedipus' royal predecessor, is killed far away from home. He leaves in the company of five escort party members, of whom only one survives a murderous attack by robbers. Laius organizes the trip because he seeks the renowed insights of the Pythia, Apollo the sun god's oracle in Delphi.
It is after Oedipus asks for details of Laius' death that the messenger tells Oedipus of his father's death in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus finds out that he must solve King Laius' murder in order for the pestilence to end in Thebes. He looks for information from Queen Jocasta, his wife and Laius' widow. Jocasta provides details on the where, when and how of Laius' death. These details in the first half of the play raise questions that begin to be answered in the second half. For example, the Corinthian messenger supplies information about the death of Corinthian King Polybus, Oedipus' presumed father.
Jocasta intends to convince him that prophets cannot tell the future.
The oracle told Queen Jocasta and King Laius of Thebes while she was heavily pregnant with Oedipus, that the child was destined to kill his father.
It is after he accuses Creon of treasonous conspiracythat Oedipus tells Jocasta of Teiresias accusing him of murdering Laius in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet accuses Theban King Oedipus of killing King Laius. Oedipus cannot remember ever meeting Laius. He decides that Teiresias as his royal advisor and Creon as his royal colleague have the most to gain in grabbing all royal powers to themselves. He flings groundless charges of treasonous conspiracy at both Teiresias and Creon. It is after Creon hears the charges and leaves that Oedipus updates his wife, Queen Jocasta, on the situation.
Her experiences with prophecies and her first husband's crime scene are what Jocasta tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta concludes that not all prophecies come true because of her first husband King Laius' predicted fate to be killed by his son. Instead, Laius dies at the hands of robbers in the Delphi-Daulia intersection in the neighboring land of Phocis. She says that this happens just before her second husband Oedipus defeats the Sphinx and settles down in Thebes.
It is after Oedipus asks for details of Laius' death that the messenger tells Oedipus of his father's death in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus finds out that he must solve King Laius' murder in order for the pestilence to end in Thebes. He looks for information from Queen Jocasta, his wife and Laius' widow. Jocasta provides details on the where, when and how of Laius' death. These details in the first half of the play raise questions that begin to be answered in the second half. For example, the Corinthian messenger supplies information about the death of Corinthian King Polybus, Oedipus' presumed father.
Jocasta intends to convince him that prophets cannot tell the future.
The oracle told Queen Jocasta and King Laius of Thebes while she was heavily pregnant with Oedipus, that the child was destined to kill his father.
It is after he accuses Creon of treasonous conspiracythat Oedipus tells Jocasta of Teiresias accusing him of murdering Laius in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Teiresias the blind prophet accuses Theban King Oedipus of killing King Laius. Oedipus cannot remember ever meeting Laius. He decides that Teiresias as his royal advisor and Creon as his royal colleague have the most to gain in grabbing all royal powers to themselves. He flings groundless charges of treasonous conspiracy at both Teiresias and Creon. It is after Creon hears the charges and leaves that Oedipus updates his wife, Queen Jocasta, on the situation.
Her experiences with prophecies and her first husband's crime scene are what Jocasta tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta concludes that not all prophecies come true because of her first husband King Laius' predicted fate to be killed by his son. Instead, Laius dies at the hands of robbers in the Delphi-Daulia intersection in the neighboring land of Phocis. She says that this happens just before her second husband Oedipus defeats the Sphinx and settles down in Thebes.
That she seeks to comfort him and that she thinks that not all prophecies come true are reasons why Jocasta tells Oedipus to ignore the prophecies in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban King Oedipus admits that he is running scared from a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Queen Jocasta appears to love Oedipus and tries to make him feel better. She believes that not all prophecies come true. She gives as an example the prophesied death of her first husband, King Laius, by their son. She indicates that the death instead takes place far away and at the hands of robbers.
It is during Oedipus' interrogation that the shepherd reveals Oedipus' identity in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, the Theban shepherd is Queen Jocasta's most trusted servant and the Corinthian messenger's former colleague. His presence is requested to tell what he remembers about the fatal attack on Jocasta's first husband King Laius. But he also knows about Oedipus' true parentage, which is the topic of conversation when he finally gets to the palace.
It gives Oedipus information that will later cause him to suspect that he is Laius's murder
Jocasta tells Oedipus that her first child was dead after being taken into the mountains. Since she did not know whether this was true or not, it was a lie
It is her first husband's story that Jocasta tells to convince Oedipus that prophecies may not come true in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, Theban Queen Jocasta believes that prophecies do not necessarily come true. She differentiates between the prophetic skills of gods and mortals. She says her first husband King Laius was fated to be killed by his own son when in actuality he died at the hands of robbers at the Delphi-Daulia intersection in Phocis.
His parents' true identity is what the herdsman finally tells Oedipus in "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles (495 B.C.E. - 405 B.C.E.).Specifically, there are two herdsmen. The Corinthian shepherd turned messenger reveals that Theban King Oedipus is not the biological son of Corinthian monarchs Polybus and Merope. The Theban shepherd says that Queen Jocasta is Oedipus' mother and that King Laius is his father.
The getting of specific information about the murder of Theban King Laius is why Theban King Oedipus wants to see the sole survivor of that crime. Oedipus at first accepts hearsay information. He finds nothing questionable in the information that Laius and all but one of his escorts were attacked and killed by robbers. But then he learns that the killings took place at a crossroads somewhere between Delphi and Thebes.Around the time of that killing, Oedipus was carrying out his own bloodbath. He took the lives of a stranger who was old enough to be his father, and whom he resembled, and of the stranger's companions. The killings all happened at that same crossroads.So Oedipus needs to find out whether Laius was killed by a lone perpetrator or if he met death at the hands of a group of thugs. Such information only can be gotten from the sole survivor. That survivor can be counted on to tell the truth. He in fact is the most devoted and trusted servant of Theban Queen Jocasta, wife of Laius and wife and mother of Oedipus.