Œdipus

Lekythos

Oedipus slaying the sphinx
Material	Pottery, gold
Created	420BC-400BC
Period/culture	Attic
Place	Polis-tis-Chrysokhou, tomb, Cyprus
Present location	Room 72, British Museum
Identification	1887,0801.46

Oedipus (US /ˈidᵻpəs/ or /ˈɛdᵻpəs/ or UK /ˈiːdᵻpəs/; Ancient Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family.

The story of Oedipus is the subject of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Rex, which was followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Together, these plays make up Sophocles' three Theban plays. Oedipus represents two enduring themes of Greek myth and drama: the flawed nature of humanity and an individual's role in the course of destiny in a harsh universe.