His father, Laios, had been
warned by the Delphic oracle that he was in danger of death
from his own son. The newly born Oidipous was therefore
exposed on the hillside, but, like Romulus and Remus, and all
infants similarly situated in legend, was duly rescued. He was
taken to Corinth, where he grew up to manhood. Journeying once
to Thebes, he got into a quarrel with an old man whom he met
on the road, and slew him, who was none other than his father,
Laios. Reaching Thebes, he found the city harassed by the
Sphinx, who afflicted the land with drought until she should
receive an answer to her riddles. Oidipous destroyed the
monster by solving her dark sayings, and as a reward received
the kingdom, with his own mother, Iokaste, as his bride. Then
the Erinyes hastened the discovery of these dark deeds;
Iokaste died in her bridal chamber; and Oidipous, having
blinded himself, fled to the grove of the Eumenides, near
Athens, where, amid flashing lightning and peals of thunder,
he died.
Oidipous is the Sun. Like all the solar heroes, from Herakles
and Perseus to Sigurd and William Tell, he performs his
marvellous deeds at the behest of others. His father, Laios,
is none other than the Vedic Dasyu, the night-demon who is
sure to be destroyed by his solar offspring In the evening,
Oidipous is united to the Dawn, the mother who had borne him
at daybreak; and here the original story doubtless ended.
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