Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.5.10

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Passage 9.5.10: Oedipus' exposure, killing of Laius, and subsequent marriage to Jocasta

Mythic Skeptical

Greek Text

Λαΐῳ δὲ βασιλεύοντι καὶ γυναῖκα ἔχοντι Ἰοκάστην μάντευμα ἦλθεν ἐκ Δελφῶν ἐκ τοῦ παιδός οἱ τὴν τελευτήν, εἰ τέκοι τινὰ Ἰοκάστη, γενήσεσθαι. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸν Οἰδίποδα ἐκτίθησιν· ὁ δὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἀποκτενεῖν ἔμελλεν, ὡς ηὐξήθη, καὶ τὴν μητέρα ἔγημε. παῖδας δὲ ἐξ αὐτῆς οὐ δοκῶ οἱ γενέσθαι, μάρτυρι Ὁμήρῳ χρώμενος, ὃς ἐποίησεν ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ

English Translation

While Laius was king and married to Jocasta, an oracle came to him from Delphi declaring that he would meet his end through his son, if Jocasta should bear him any child. Because of this, he exposed Oedipus. Oedipus, however, once grown up, was destined to kill his father and married his mother. Yet I do not believe that his children were born from her, relying upon Homer as witness, who composed in the Odyssey:

Proper Nouns

Odyssey (Ὀδύσσεια) other
Laios (Λάϊος) person
Oedipus (Οἰδίπους) person
Jocasta (Ἰοκάστη) person
Homer (Ὅμηρος) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
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