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Oedipus at Colonus (also Oedipus Coloneus, and in Greek Οἰδίπους ἐπὶ Κολωνῷ) is one of the three Theban plays of the Athenian tragedian Sophocles. It was written before Sophocles' death in 406 BC and produced by his grandson (also called Sophocles) at the Festival of Dionysus in 401 BC. Sophocles, as depicted in the Nordisk familjebok. ...
In classical Greece Colonus was a demus about a mile to the northwest of Athens, near Platos Academy. ...
Oedipus with the Sphinx, from an Attic red-figure cylix from the Vatican Museum, ca. ...
Antigone by Frederic Leighton Antigone (Eng. ...
In Greek mythology, Ismene was a daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta and sister to Antigone. ...
Theseus (Greek ) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, with whom Aethra lay in one night. ...
In Greek mythology, Creon, or Kreeon (ruler), son of Menoeceus, was a king of the city of Thebes and the father of Haemon and Megara by his wife, Eurydice. ...
In Greek mythology, Polynices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. ...
In Greek mythology the Erinyes (the Romans called them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. ...
The so-called three Theban plays, written by Greek dramatist Sophocles in the 5th century BC, follow the tragic downfall of the mythical king Oedipus of Thebes and his descendants. ...
For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ...
This article refers to the literary work. ...
Sophocles, as depicted in the Nordisk familjebok. ...
Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC - 400s BC - 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 411 BC 410 BC 409 BC 408 BC 407 BC - 406 BC - 405 BC 404 BC...
The Dionysia was a large religious festival in ancient Athens in honour of the god Dionysus, the central event of which was the performance of tragedies and comedies. ...
Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC - 400s BC - 390s BC 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC Years: 406 BC 405 BC 404 BC 403 BC 402 BC - 401 BC - 400 BC 399 BC...
In the timeline of the plays, the events of Oedipus at Colonus occur after Oedipus the King and before Antigone. The play describes the end of Oedipus' tragic life. Legends differ as to the site of Oedipus' death; Sophocles set the place at Colonus, a village near Athens and also Sophocles' own birthplace, where the blinded Oedipus has come with his daughters Antigone and Ismene as suppliants of the Eumenides and of Theseus, the king of Athens. Oedipus the King (Greek , Oedipus Tyrannos), also known as Oedipus Rex, is a Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles and first performed in 428 BC. The play was the second of Sophocles three Theban plays to be produced, but comes first in the internal chronology of the plays, followed by Oedipus...
Antigone (Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is a tragedy written just before or in 441 BC[1] by Sophocles. ...
Oedipus with the Sphinx, from an Attic red-figure cylix from the Vatican Museum, ca. ...
In classical Greece Colonus was a demus about a mile to the northwest of Athens, near Platos Academy. ...
Nickname: City of Athena or Cradle of Democracy Location of the city of Athens (red dot) within the Prefecture of Athens and Periphery of Attica Coordinates: Country Greece Peripheries Attica Prefecture Athens Founded circa 2000 BC Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis Area - City 38. ...
Antigone by Frederic Leighton Antigone (Eng. ...
In Greek mythology, Ismene was a daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta and sister to Antigone. ...
In Greek mythology the Erinyes (the Romans called them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. ...
Theseus (Greek ) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, with whom Aethra lay in one night. ...
Before the Athenian democracy, the tyrants, and the archons, Athens was ruled by kings. ...
Plot Led by Antigone, Oedipus enters the village of Colonus and sits down on a stone. They are approached by a villager, who demands that they leave, because that ground is sacred to the Furies, or Eumenides. Oedipus recognizes this as a sign, for when he received the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, Apollo also revealed to him that at the end of his life he would die at a place sacred to the Furies, and be a blessing for the land in which he is buried. In Greek mythology the Erinyes (the Romans called them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. ...
In Greek mythology the Erinyes (the Romans called them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. ...
Prophecy in a broad sense, is the prediction of future events or the speaking of divine words (divine Revelation) through chosen human messengers (prophets). ...
Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , ApóllÅn; or , ApellÅn), the ideal of the kouros, was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a bringer of death...
The chorus of old men from the village enters, and persuades Oedipus to leave the holy ground. They then question him about his identity, and are horrified to learn that he is the son of Laius. Although they promised not to harm Oedipus, they wish to expel him from their city, fearing that he will curse it. Oedipus answers by explaining that he is not morally responsible for his crimes, since he killed his father in self-defense. Furthermore, he asks to see their king, Theseus, saying, "I come as someone sacred, someone filled with piety and power, bearing a great gift for all your people."[1] The chorus is amazed, and decides to reserve their judgment of Oedipus until Theseus, king of the land, arrives. In Greek mythology, King Laius, or Laios of Thebes was a divine hero and key personage in the Theban founding myth. ...
Theseus (Greek ) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, with whom Aethra lay in one night. ...
Ismene arrives on horse, rejoicing to see her father and sister. She brings the news that Eteocles has seized the throne of Thebes from his elder brother, Polynices, while Polynices is gathering support from the Argives to attack the city. Both sons have heard an oracle that the outcome of the conflict will depend on where their father is buried. Ismene tells her father that it is Creon's plan to come for him and bury him at the border of Thebes, without proper burial rites, so that the power which the oracle says his grave will have is not granted to any other land. Hearing this, Oedipus curses both of his sons for not treating him well, contrasting them with his devoted daughters. He pledges allegiance with neither of his feuding sons, but with the people of Colonus, who thus far have treated him well, and further asks them for protection from Creon. Eteocles and Polynices being carried away, dead, after the Battle of Thebes, in an 1897 illustration from Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred Church In Greek mythology, Eteocles was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta, the father of Laodamas. ...
In Greek mythology, Polynices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. ...
Argos (Greek: Άργος, Árgos) is a city in Greece in the Peloponnesus near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor, named for Nauplius. ...
In Greek mythology, Creon, or Kreeon (ruler), son of Menoeceus, was a king of the city of Thebes and the father of Haemon and Megara by his wife, Eurydice. ...
Because Oedipus trespassed on the holy ground of the Euminides, the villagers tell him that he must perform certain rites to appease them. Ismene volunteers to go perform them for him and departs, while Antigone remains with Oedipus. Meanwhile, the chorus questions Oedipus once more, desiring to know the details of his incest and patricide. After he relates his sorrowful story to them, Theseus enters, and in contrast to the prying chorus states, "I know all about you, son of Laius."[2] He sympathizes with Oedipus, and offers him unconditional aid, causing Oedipus to praise Theseus and offer him the gift of his burial site, which will ensure victory in a future conflict with Thebes. Theseus protests, saying that the two cities are friendly, and Oedipus responds with what is perhaps the most famous speech in the play. "Oh Theseus, dear friend, only the gods can never age, the gods can never die. All else in the world almighty Time obliterates, crushes all to nothing..."[3] Theseus makes Oedipus a citizen of Athens, and leaves the chorus to guard him as he departs. The chorus sings about the glory and beauty of Athens.
Creon, who is the king of Thebes, comes to Oedipus and feigns pity for him and his children, telling him that he should return to Thebes. Oedipus is horrified, and recounts all of the harms Creon has inflicted on him. Creon becomes angry and reveals that he has already captured Ismene; he then instructs his guards to forcibly seize Antigone. His men begin to carry them off toward Thebes, perhaps planning to use them as blackmail to get Oedipus to follow, out of a desire to return Thebans to Thebes, or simply out of anger. The chorus attempts to stop him, but Creon threatens to use force to bring Oedipus back to Thebes. The chorus then calls for Theseus, who comes from sacrificing to Poseidon to condemn Creon, telling him, "You have come to a city that practices justice, that sanctions nothing without law."[4] Creon replies by condemning Oedipus, saying "I knew [your city] would never harbor a father-killer...worse, a creature so corrupt, exposed as the mate, the unholy husband of his own mother."[5] Oedipus, infuriated, declares once more that he is not morally responsible for what he did. Theseus leads Creon away to retake the two girls. The Athenians overpower the Thebans and return both girls to Oedipus. Oedipus moves to kiss Theseus in gratitude, then draws back, acknowledging that he is still polluted. Neptune reigns in the city centre, Bristol, formerly the largest port in England outside London. ...
Theseus then informs Oedipus that a suppliant has come to the temple of Poseidon and wishes to speak with him; it is Oedipus' son Polyneices, who has been banished from Thebes by his brother Eteocles. Oedipus does not want to talk to him, saying that he loathes the sound of his voice, but Antigone persuades him to listen, saying, "Many other men have rebellious children, quick tempers too...but they listen to reason, they relent."[6] Oedipus gives in to her, and Polynices enters, lamenting Oedipus' miserable condition and begging his father to speak to him. He tells Oedipus that he has been driven out of the Thebes unjustly by his brother, and his preparing to attack the city. He knows that this is the result of Oedipus' curse on his sons, and begs his father to relent, even going so far as to say "We share the same fate" to his father.[7] Oedipus tells him that he deserves his fate, for he cast his father out. He foretells that his two sons will kill each other in the coming battle. "Die! Die by your own blood brother's hand-die!-killing the very man who drove you out! So I curse your life out!"[8] Antigone tries to restrain her brother, telling him that he should not attack Thebes and avoid dying at his brother's hand. Polynices refuses to be dissuaded, and exits. Neptune reigns in the city centre, Bristol, formerly the largest port in England outside London. ...
In Greek mythology, Polynices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. ...
Eteocles and Polynices being carried away, dead, after the Battle of Thebes, in an 1897 illustration from Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred Church In Greek mythology, Eteocles was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta, the father of Laodamas. ...
Following their conversation there is a fierce thunderstorm, which Oedipus interprets as a sign from Zeus of his impending death. Calling for Theseus, he tells him that it is time for him to give the gift he promised to Athens. Filled with strength, the blind Oedipus stands and walks, calling for his children and Theseus to follow him. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th century engraving Zeus (in Greek: nominative: Zeús, genitive: DÃos), is...
A messenger enters and tells the chorus that Oedipus is dead. He lead his children and Theseus away, then bathed himself and poured libations, while his daughters grieved. He told them that their burden of caring for him was gone, and asked Theseus to swear not to forsake his daughters. Then he sent his children away, for only Theseus could know the place of his death, and pass it on to his heir. When the messenger turned back to look at the spot where Oedipus last stood, he says that "We couldn't see the man- he was gone- nowhere! And the king, alone, shielding his eyes, both hands spread out against his face as if- some terrible wonder flashed before his eyes and he, he could not bear to look."[9] Theseus enters with Antigone and Ismene, who are weeping and mourning their father. Antigone longs to see her father's tomb, even to be buried there with him rather than live without him. The girls beg Theseus to take them, but he reminds them that the place is a secret, and that no one may go there. "And he said that if I kept my pledge, I'd keep my country free of harm forever."[10] Antigone agrees, and asks for passage back to Thebes, where she hopes to stop the Seven Against Thebes from marching. Everyone exits toward Athens. The Oath of the Seven Chiefs, an 1897 illustration from Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred Church Seven Against Thebes is a play by Aeschylus concerning the battle between Eteocles and the army of Thebes and Polynices and his supporters, traditional Theban enemies. ...
There is less action in this play than in Oedipus the King, and more philosophical discussion. Here, Oedipus discusses his fate as related by the oracle, and claims that he is not fully guilty because his crimes of murder and incest were committed in ignorance. Despite being blinded and exiled and facing violence from Creon and his sons, in the end Oedipus is accepted and absolved by Zeus.
Analysis In the years between the play's composition and its first performance, Athens underwent many changes. Defeated by the Spartans, the city was placed under the rule of the Thirty Tyrants, and the citizens who opposed their rule were exiled or executed.[11] This certainly affected the way that early audiences reacted to the play, just as the invasion of Athens and its diminished power surely affected Sophocles as he wrote it. This article needs cleanup. ...
The Thirty Tyrants were a pro-Spartan oligarchy installed in Athens after Athens defeat in the Peloponnesian War in April 404 BC. Its two leading members were Tharamenes and Critias, a former acolyte of Socrates. ...
While the other two plays about Oedipus often bring up the question of a person's moral responsibility for their destiny, and whether it is possible to rebel against destiny, Oedipus at Colonus is the only one to address it explicitly. Oedipus vehemently states that he is not responsible for the actions he was fated to commit.
The play contrasts the cities of Athens and Thebes quite sharply. Thebes is often used in Athenian dramas as a city in which proper boundaries and identities are not maintained, allowing the playwright to explore themes like incest, murder, and hubris in a safe setting.
Translations Sir Richard Claverhouse Jebb (August 27, 1841 - December 9, 1905) was a British classical scholar and politician. ...
Robert Stuart Fitzgerald (1910 - 1985) was best known as a translator of ancient Greek and Latin. ...
Robert Fagles is a Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University. ...
Adaptations Lee Breuer is one of the founding members and current Artistic Directors of the Avant-Guarde theatre company Mabou Mines(in New York City). ...
The Gospel at Colonus is a gospel version of Sophocless tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus. ...
Notes - ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 300
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 318
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 322
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 341
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 343
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 357
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 363
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 365
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 381
- ^ Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984, p. 388
- ^ Pomeroy, Sarah, Stanley Burstein, Walter Donlan, and Jennifer Roberts. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, p. 322
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