LAIUS (mythological king of Thebes)

Laius was married to Iocasta, a daughter of Menoeceus, and had sons born to his concubines.^8,9,10 He consulted the god Phoebus regarding having children, but defied Apollo's command to die without having children.^9,4,11 Despite an oracle warning against fathering a son, he conceived a child while intoxicated.^8,9 An oracle at Delphi predicted that Laius would die at the hands of his own son, a prophecy also attributed to Phoebus and Loxias.^4,12 Laius ordered his infant son to be abandoned on a remote mountain to be devoured by wild beasts.^13,12,4 He had the baby's ankles pierced with iron spikes and pinned together.^9,4 The infant given to the messenger was a child of Laius's household, and he later traveled to the shrine of Phoebus to check if the exposed child was dead.^14,15

Laius was expelled from Thebes by Zethus and Amphion.^16,17 Lycus served as the guardian of the one-year-old infant Laius after Labdacus died, during which time he usurped the government of Thebes.^16,18 The Thebans restored him to the kingdom after Zethus died of a broken heart, and he took over the throne following the death of Amphion.^16,17,8 During his exile, Laius was hospitably received by Pelops.¹⁶

Laius conceived a passion for Chrysippus and carried him off, having taught the young man how to drive a chariot.^16,19 Some accounts state Androgeus was murdered by jealous competitors while traveling to Laius's games.³ His charioteer ordered a stranger to make way for the king, leading to a dispute over a narrow road in Phocis.^9,15,8,20,5 Laius was slain by Oedipus, who did not know he was his father, fulfilling the prophecy that he would be killed by his own son during a conflict on the road.^9,21,13,15,8 Accounts differ on the manner of his death; some say he was murdered by an unknown killer, while others state he was murdered by foreign robbers at a junction of three roads.^22,2,23,5 The people of Thebes heard the account of Laius being slain by multiple attackers and conducted a search regarding his murder, though his death was initially ignored because the Sphinx posed a more pressing threat.^24,25,26 Laius died a bloody death away from his home land, and his body was discovered and buried by Damasistratus of Plataea.^26,27,28

Oedipus married Laius's wife without knowing she was his mother, and Creon offered Laius's wife as a prize to the riddle's solver.²⁹ Laius left his wife to bear children with her own son.^4,30 His ghost appeared with a body covered in blood and matted hair.³¹ The Furies of Laius and Oedipus punished Tisamenus's son Autesion.³² Laius was associated with oracles that advised on planting colonies, and a famous sword described as the spoil of Laius was kept in the queen's chamber.^33,34 He observed his chariot was still stained with blood and saw his own yoke hanging on the pillars of his house.³⁵ Laius was secretly removed by people who wanted to preserve the memory of Cadmus's lineage, and he holds a scepter stained with blood from his conquered kingdom.^36,37 He is the natural father of the woman in this version of the story and the father of the child born to him and Iocasta.^10,23