Myth Madness

Oedipus - Not The Only Cursed Theban King

November 13, 2023 Nathan Rutherford Season 3 Episode 28
Oedipus - Not The Only Cursed Theban King
Myth Madness
More Info
Myth Madness
Oedipus - Not The Only Cursed Theban King
Nov 13, 2023 Season 3 Episode 28
Nathan Rutherford

Oedipus is probably the one Greek hero who has broken free from Greek mythology and become something else entirely. That of course is all thanks to psychologist Sigmund Freud. Many people today are familiar with the hero, who is cursed with killing his father and sleeping with his mother. But the wider tradition of Greek myth about Oedipus is much more complex. Stretching at least as far back as the 8th century BC, Oedipus is another of the famous beast-slayers of Greek mythology. Additionally, the story of Oedipus’s curse actually concerns 4 different generations of the Theban royal family. Taken together, it is called the Theban Cycle. This episode focuses (58) on Oedipus and his father Laius.

Show Notes

Oedipus is probably the one Greek hero who has broken free from Greek mythology and become something else entirely. That of course is all thanks to psychologist Sigmund Freud. Many people today are familiar with the hero, who is cursed with killing his father and sleeping with his mother. But the wider tradition of Greek myth about Oedipus is much more complex. Stretching at least as far back as the 8th century BC, Oedipus is another of the famous beast-slayers of Greek mythology. Additionally, the story of Oedipus’s curse actually concerns 4 different generations of the Theban royal family. Taken together, it is called the Theban Cycle. This episode focuses (58) on Oedipus and his father Laius.